Zero Soul
by vegie kun
Summary: Who says there can only be one 'Perfect Soldier? What if there was such a way to create a weapon that could rival the WingZERO pilot? Nearly two years after Mariemaia's coup d'etat, a new but familiar threat rises out of the ashes to reclaim the Earth and Colonies. Their weapon of choice? Something the Gundam pilots can never hope to defeat less they risk inciting another war.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Sotsu/Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment.

Author's Note: Re-writing this fic a third time… for a few reasons. Reason one: I've decided to finish up all the stories that I left abandoned a decade ago (Requiem and Trapped) so I needed to change bits of this story to make writing the other two easier. Reason two: I noticed that lost the formatting that I intended for this story so I needed to correct that. Without the original formatting, new readers might find it difficult to read and they may not be able to comprehend what I wanted for the story. Lastly, I've always felt that it could have been more but my inexperience in writing limited its potential. Another reason for this revision is because I've decided to finish Requiem and Trapped and needed to change a few things in Zero in order to hash out a better story. I realized that certain plot points in the original were conflicting with the vision I had. The most notable change is choosing to leave the Sanc kingdom dissolved... Somehow it just seemed to make more sense rather than reinstating it as a sovereign country because honestly the only person who can really be its ruler is Relena and she can't be a queen and hold an office at the same time. Plus Zechs has made it quite clear that he has no intention of taking the throne. Also, some chapters will have more revisions than others.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Prologue

By: veGie-kun

Year AC 198 - two years since the incident with Mariemaia Khushrenada and Dekim Barton. The events that transpired on that day forever ingrained in the hearts of the people that witnessed it the realization that peace was the responsibility of all those who yearned for it. With the safe return of Vice Foreign Minister Darlian, new treaties were drafted and signed and further sanctions were taken to deter possible repeats of such transgressions. These actions of the Earth Sphere Unified Nations helped bolster both the Earth and colonies back to a state of relative 'normalcy'.

Hostilities between nations intermittently occurred now and again, a testament to the fragility of the hard wrought peace. But as she was wont to do, the Vice Foreign Minister would intervene before they escalated into violent conflicts. Her efficient manner and patient countenance transformed her into a beacon of hope for the people. Though the office of Vice Foreign Minister was originally meant to be symbolic, Relena Darlian's dedication and proactive nature was instrumental for the current state of harmony that everyone was reveling in. So despite her young age, she was able to rally an unprecedented amount of support from both the people of Earth and the colonies. And as her term as Vice Foreign Minister of the E.S.U.N. ended many encouraged her to take up more responsibility by taking over the office of Foreign Minister when the current one retired. With much trepidation and slight reluctance Darlian accepted the nomination and subsequently won an overwhelming majority of the vote in the following election.

The Preventers, hidden from the public eye and under the President's command, continued to execute their job of extinguishing disturbances and threats as they arose. Though one could hardly consider such incidents much of a challenge when compared to the war and rebellion of the past century. Their effectiveness was due in large part to Lady Une who ran the organization with fierce efficiency, a reflection of her time as an officer in OZ. Under her strict management the Preventers became a force only the most foolish would dare to cross. But despite her seemingly iron rule, her demeanor had noticeable softened. Many attributed this change to her adoption of Mariemaia after the girl's failed coup d'état. In the years following, Mariemaia, under Une's guidance, matured into a kind, considerate, compassionate, and precocious young girl.

On the other hand, Sally Po, the sole beneficiary of pitied glances from half the agency due to her choice of partners, was often kept busy mollifying said justice-ranting partner, Chang Wufei. Possessing a saintly abundance of patience, the other agents surmised that she was probably the only one who could stand the young man long enough to actually work with him. Wufei on his part had yet to relinquish the 'women are weak' talk, but knew better than to voice such thoughts to the women at headquarters. Though Sally knew deep down even he really didn't believe that notion, but old habits die-hard after all and he wouldn't exactly be Wufei without his spiels.

In regards to Zechs Marquise and Lucrezia Noin, they were temporarily back on Earth and back with the Preventers. Their efforts on the Mars Terraforming Project allowed it to proceed ahead of schedule and it was currently in the stages of establishing an atmosphere. But despite that it would still be another 3 years before the planet's air could be considered breathable. So rather than live out that time in the station orbiting Mars, they felt their talents were much needed elsewhere. And so Zechs found himself the new head of missions operation and Noin was given the duty of training new Preventer agents. In addition to her work with the Preventers Noin, would act from time to time as an advisor and confidant to Relena.

The Gundam pilots had also returned to their seemingly 'normal' lives. Duo Maxwell, former pilot of Gundam Deathscythe Hell, returned to the Sweepers and was currently living with his girlfriend, Hilde Schbeiker. In addition to the Sweepers, he occasionally worked with the Preventers when they found themselves short staffed for difficult missions. The former pilot of Gundam Heavyarms, Trowa Barton, continued to work as a clown with his sister, Catherine Bloom, in the circus. After years spent moving from colony to colony they finally settled back on Earth and decided to spend the next few years touring its continents and were currently traveling through Europe.

Quatre Raberba Winner, former pilot of Gundam Sandrock, was doing a remarkable job as head of the Winner Corporation in addition to rebuilding the colonies. It was thanks to the Winner Corporation that the colonies were able to become self-sufficient in half the time originally thought. Gundam Altron's former pilot, Chang Wufei, kept himself busy with the Preventers. Though still young, his vast experience gained during the war and steadfast nature allowed him to climb the ranks of the Preventers rather quickly. He also came to respect the women working there, especially Sally Po, Lucrezia Noin, and Lady Une, though his stubbornness prevented him from voicing such admiration. Heero Yuy, former pilot of Gundam WingZERO, however, was nowhere to be found. After the Mariemaia situation he'd worked for the Preventers on a couple of missions before disappearing altogether.

Despite the relative calm the Earth and colonies were experiencing, the winds of conflict were beginning to blow once more. Those who were not satisfied with the peace and those who wanted revenge for past tragedies were once again igniting the sparks that would fuel the flames of war...

* * *

*Underground base – unconfirmed location*

The operations room was bustling with activity. Uniformed personnel seated in front of computer panels and consoles were typing away in their effort to gather and decipher the data and information requested of them. Despite all the commotion, the atmosphere in the room soon turned eerily quiet as the large metal entryway slid open. In walked an outwardly young looking man with the most imposing air about him. He was tall, handsome, and muscular, with jet-black hair and cold blue eyes. His youthful face belied all the battlefield knowledge and experience he held; usually reserved for someone twice his age. His uniform, littered with medals and a general's insignia, confirmed his status and demanded utmost obedience and respect from those under his command. He continued walking until he reached the center of the room. From there he surveyed the information displayed on the giant screen. The silence in the room was soon shattered, however, when the metal door slid open again and a young soldier walked in.

"General Whitenburg, sir!" the soldier shouted and saluted.

"Yes, what is it, private?" the man asked, eyes hard and steady on the younger man.

"Sir!" the soldier began, "The doctors want to know when you will begin Operation ZERO."

"Hmph, the old men can't wait, can they?" the general mused to himself. "Tell them that we will begin at 1900 hours. At that time send the special ops to locate and retrieve the target. Inform the men that they are not to harm the target in any way. Additionally, any and all obstacles to get in our way are to be eliminated. However, let them know that they should try to do so without causing too much commotion. We don't want them to become aware of our presence just yet."

"Yes, sir!" With that the soldier left the room.

As soon as the soldier left, the general turned around and walked over to the consoles. He pressed a few buttons and suddenly the screen lit up with an image of another man.

"Captain Dereks!" he shouted to gain the man's attention "We will commence Operation ZERO at 1900 hours. Have your men prepared and I'll send someone in to brief you in a few hours."

"Yes, sir!" the soldier said before switching out.

"Ah... to think this day has finally arrived… soon…very soon..." the man whispered to himself as he left the room.

-to be continued-


	2. Reunion and Strategy

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is the legal property of Sotsu/Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment.

Author's Note: This chapter had a major revamp. One major change is the conversion to the metric system. Why? Because outside of the United States, everybody uses the metric system so all the characters, though Duo may be an exception, should think in that system. =P

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 1: Reunion and Strategy

By: Vegie-kun

Relena Darlian was at the moment, sitting behind her desk staring down a stack of new proposals that had been drafted by the members of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. Seconds ticked away into minutes and Relena continued to stare in an attempt to will away the mound of paper. She let out a heavy sigh and picked up the first proposal. This was the fifth week in a row in which she had sacrificed a beautiful Saturday morning to stay cooped up in her office doing paperwork. It had been nearly two years since the defeat of Dekim Barton and peace had returned once again to both the Earth and the colonies in space. Yet in spite of all that, she continued to work fervently and with little rest, ignoring the pleas from both her older brother and Noin. Even as she understood their worries, she couldn't afford to just take a break, not when so many people depended on her. Few girls her age would do the same, but Relena, like many other children who got caught up in the war, had to grow up quickly. Her behavior and mannerisms were just reflections of that.

Gone were her chances of an ordinary life; gone when she first met that boy nearly three years ago. As hectic as things had become, she refrained from voicing any complaints about how her life panned out... On the contrary, she was somewhat thankful for having met him. He'd broken her out of that mundane routine that she'd once regarded as her life; one filled with pretenses and fair weather friends and void of any excitement. Her family's wealth and influence afforded her many privileges, though genuine friendship eluded her. Her smile had to be unwavering, her manners impeccable; always polite and courteous, especially in the face of the media. But look at her now, newly elected Foreign Minister Darlian, the champion and guardian of the peace. Her life, now filled with paperwork, meetings, social gatherings, and conferences, was not something she would wish on any girl, especially one her age. Putting down the third packet of paper she stretched her slender arms above her head, got up and made her way towards the window. Opening them up, she leaned on the sill and took in the sight of the garden below, smiling as the wind gently blew across her face carrying with it the scent of tulips, hyacinth, and freesia.

"Heero..." she whispered softly to no one in particular, "I wonder what you're up to these days. Hopefully you're doing well and have found happiness." She smiled once again as she pictured his face in her mind. She'd always found his penetrating dark blue eyes mesmerizing. Her thoughts wandered to the day when she first met him, to the day he tore her invitation, to the numerous times he'd threatened to kill her, and the countless times he had saved her, and to the moment he fell unconscious into her lap. Throughout their time together he'd imparted unto her a level of strength that enabled her to accomplish things she'd once considered insurmountable. Even now whenever she encountered tasks she felt too daunting to overcome, she'd remember his words of encouragement and push on through. Lost in her reminiscing she failed to notice the figure that entered the office.

"Relena," came a familiar voice and the girl turned to see her friend and advisor, Lucrezia Noin, standing in front of her haphazard desk. Relena rarely saw her out of her Preventer's uniform so her current wardrobe of a red tank top and dark blue jeans took Relena by surprise.

As she continued to gaze at the person before her Relena noticed how Noin's appearance hadn't changed much since the time they'd first met each other. Though at the moment it seemed that she was starting to let her hair grow long. Relena had always secretly admired the woman. Noin possessed a level of maturity that the young woman could only hope to amount to. And she also envied the relationship the other woman shared with her older brother though not in the sense that she wanted to monopolize more of his time. No, Relena envied the ease with which they interacted with one another and the level of trust they clearly gave the other. Suddenly realizing she'd been staring for too long she coughed sheepishly and greeted her friend.

"Hello, Noin, I wasn't aware that you'd be stopping by though your visit is a welcomed surprise." She smiled, honestly happy to see a familiar and friendly face. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" Relena queried before returning her gaze to the garden below.

"Well, Relena," the older woman began, moving to stand next to Relena at the window. "I was originally here to pick something up for Zechs but then I met the gardeners outside and we started chatting." She peered outside to take in the view, "They say the azaleas growing near the pond have bloomed beautifully so I thought how wonderful it would be if we could go and see them... So... I was wondering if you would like to join me for a walk over there and as they say 'shoot the breeze'?"

The young Foreign Minister contemplated the idea. It had been quite some time since she'd last left the office, too wrapped up in work to literally go outside and smell the roses. But then she stared at the paperwork still decorating her desk and felt a pang of guilt. "That's thoughtful of you, Noin, but as tempting as that sounds... I'm afraid there's just too much to be left undone so I really have to get back to work." With that Relena started to walk back to her desk but before she could reach it Noin grabbed her wrist.

"Relena, please," There was a brief flash of urgency that passed through Noin's dark purple eyes, "I have a feeling that there's something in that field you should really see. The life of flowers are so fleeting, they bloom specifically to bring happiness to people. Their life would be meaningless if you didn't take the time to enjoy their beauty... Besides, you need to get out once in a while... I mean... it's such a beautiful day." She motioned to the window, referring to the scene they were staring at moments ago. "Too beautiful to waste cooped up in this office. I know how important work is... but so is your health and one of the best ways to ensure good health is relaxation. So how about it?" she asked with smile.

The girl's eyes wandered around the room hesitantly before settling upon the woman again. "... Okay, Noin, you do have a point there. I needed to clear my head anyways and a walk would do just that," Relena replied with a smile. "Just wait for me downstairs while I go find a hat to wear."

* * *

Minutes later they began making their way out of the Peacecraft mansion while they talked, catching up on the latest happenings of their life. Noin gave her the latest updates she and Zechs had just received from the space station orbiting Mars. It seemed that the project was ahead of schedule and so they were currently trying to decide the types of temporary working stations to build on the red planet. In turn Relena revealed to her that she was in the process of drafting immigration and settlement policies for Mars, much to Noin's delight.

Their conversations continued as they idly meandered through the garden on their way to the pond, Relena took her time absorbing the scenery. Something so simple had unknowingly become a rare treat. _/How long has it been since I was able to set aside time for myself?/_ She mused forlornly. The days had been starting to bleed into each other and if not for this intervention, she didn't know when she would have been able to leave the mansion. Having her office within her residence proved to be both a blessing and a curse. It provided a world of conveniences but it also made escaping work next to impossible. Again she had lost herself in thought when Noin suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence.

"... Relena, to be perfectly honest," She began guiltily, "the real reason I asked you out was because I didn't want any rogue ears listening in on our conversation." The concern laced in her voice was hard to miss and Relena's curiosity was piqued. "It's been awhile since we last did a full sweep of the mansion. With all the recent parties that's been held there, anyone could have planted bugs anywhere."

"Noin?" Relena questioned with a look of confusion.

The older woman sighed and decided not to beat around the bush any longer. "Relena, there have been rumors going around, and we've found some evidence, of another terrorist organization out there. We are still in the process of confirming whether they're remnants of old organizations, or if they're a new one, but what we do know is that they're gaining more power with each passing day-"

"And you're worried that they may go after me," Relena cut in with a matter of fact tone.

"Yes." Noin conceded with furrowed brows. "We can't take any chances anymore. You are too important to lose." The resolute tone of her conviction, tempered with concern and compassion made Relena smile. Noin was someone she could trust without question and Relena counted herself lucky to have the young woman in her life. "So," she began again, catching Relena's attention, "Zechs and I decided to arrange some extra protection for you."

"Protection?" Relena scoffed at the notion, "I already have a full security detail! The last thing I need are more bodies to get in the way of my work."

"We know that," Noin conceded, "but considering the opponents we may be up against, your current security may not be sufficient enough to handle whatever actions they may take against you."

"... I won't deny the fact that I was unaware of exactly what this post would entail and the dangers it would bring when I originally decided to accept it... though my father's death gave me a glimpse of that," the young woman began ruefully, "... but to keep building up a wall around myself with every single rumored threat is not something I can afford to do..."

"And we've taken that into consideration," Noin interjected. She notice the girl making ready to protest and held a hand up to placate her as they continued their journey. "Before you say anything more, please just hear us out. We've already contracted a few Preventers and some special agents to take charge of your safety and you can make your decision after you get all the information. You'll also be meeting with these agents at the brook and we'll use that time to draw up security strategies and plan for whatever scenarios we may encounter until we're able to identify these terrorists."

* * *

Ten minutes later they picked up the sounds of flowing water and the path they walked upon soon led to a clearing – a truly breathtaking place surrounded by azaleas, littered with dogwood trees and flanked by a brook that led to a small pond. Walking further into the meadow Relena spotted a small group of people gathered near the largest tree. Upon further scrutiny she recognized one of the figures to be that of her brother. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, her previous wariness regarding the meeting forgotten, and broke out into a run towards him. He met her halfway and scooped her up in a tight embrace. She could feel him tightening his grip and did the same. It had been some time since they had last seen one another; their busy schedules afforded them few opportunities to be in each others' company. She knew her time with him was limited; only until the Mars Terraforming Project was able to proceed to the next phase. And so she made it a point to savor every second she had with him.

"Miss Darlian," Sally greeted the young girl as Zechs lowered her back to the ground.

"Please, Major Po, Relena is fine," she replied, clasping the Preventer's hands in her own.

"Alright then, but in exchange, you have to call me Sally. Deal?" she entreated with a friendly smile.

"Hmmm... Deal," Relena returned with a smile of her own. She then redirected her attention back to her brother, hands on her hips. "So, Milliardo, who are these special agents that you've arranged as my protectors?"

He grimaced under her withering stare. "Hmmm, so I take it Noin has already informed you of what's happening," her brother acknowledged. "Well in that case-"

"Oi, 'Jousan!"

Relena quickly turned around to confirm her suspicions as to whom that voice belonged to. Running towards her with waving arms was none other than Duo Maxwell. _/Oh God, he __**still**__ has that meter long braid!/_ She thought and smiled as he reached out and swept her in a twirling hug. She soon caught sight of the other pilots as they made their way down. Quatre ran with child-like exuberance while Trowa and Wufei walked at an evenly set pace. Relena looked at them and noticed that they'd all grown taller and had lost their youthful slenderness. Trowa was still the tallest; seemingly about 188 cm which easily towered over her not so small 170 cm frame. Duo was next at 180 cm, then Wufei and Quatre at 175 cm. Her excitement quickly died down, however, when she noticed a certain individual missing among them. _/I had a feeling he wasn't going to be here... /_

"Miss Relena!" Quatre chirped, giving her a gentle embrace. "It's great to see you again! It's really has been too long!"

"Miss Relena," Trowa greeted with a nod.

"Yes, well... can we just get this briefing over with?" came Wufei's 'greeting'.

Relena regarded him with a wry expression. "It's nice to see you _**too,**_ Wufei," Relena murmured before breaking out in grin. "In fact, it's great to see all of you again, though I'm sorry that we had to bother all of you with this matter."

"What bother? We're actually glad for the chance to do something with our time instead of just moping around all day," Duo answered with a wide grin. "It's been so long since I've seen any sort of action, I'm afraid I'm losing my edge."

"Seriously, Miss Relena, we want to do this." Quatre added. "We're all worried about what could happen to you. Think of this as our way to repay you for all the hard work you're doing to maintain the currently friendly relations between the Earth nations and the colonies."

"Ahem," Zechs interrupted, "Okay, now that everyone's re-acquainted we'll get to the objective at hand."

"Hey," Duo asked before Zechs could get to the briefing. "why did you ask us to meet in this clearing anyway? Wouldn't it be safer to meet in a private room?"

"We wanted to meet here so that people wouldn't get suspicious, especially the members of the Earth Sphere Unified Nations." Noin informed patiently, "If they found out that we were holding a secret meeting at the Peacecraft mansion they'd start to ask questions. We can't afford to reveal anything until we're absolutely sure who the enemy is. And," she smiled as she caught the young Foreign Minister's gaze, "as an added bonus it also gives Relena a chance to get out and enjoy the scenery."

"I agree that this is a beautiful location," Quatre agreed with trepidation, "but what about security? We're very open to an attack here and I don't everyone's brought any sort of weapon with them."

"Don't worry about that, we had the Preventers do a sweep of the area earlier," Noin reassured.

"Are we done with the questions yet!?" Zechs interrupted, visibly irritated and annoyed. Everyone nodded his or her head and he continued. "Noin and I have called you all here because we have information on the new... or rather old - depending on how you look at it - terrorist organization. Some of the things we have been able to confirm is the fact that contain amongst their ranks, former OZ members and that their numbers are growing fast. Sally was also able to get some information as to what their objectives are. Sally," he turned to the yound doctor, "care to take it from here?"

"Wait a minute. How come she was able to get information on them?" Duo asked ignoring Zechs.

"Sally has many contacts." Noin replied. "Contacts whose identities need to remain concealed to ensure their safety. They risked a lot trying to get what little they could, so we have to make sure that it's put to good use." The somber expression on her face made clear the gravity of the situation.

"Alright," Sally began. "Now, listen up. Based on the data my contacts were able to gather, this group considers themselves the true OZ. In other words, they're the hard core believers of Trieze's ideals."

"More like extremists who misinterpreted his intentions," Zechs interjected snidely.

"That may be the case," Sally mused, "but whatever their feelings, it's clear they believe that whatever the current course our world is currently taking is detrimental for its future. Now this current OZ consists of former Oz officers, soldiers and aristocrats that escaped at the end of the Eve Wars. Unfortunately we haven't been able to discover their identities and at this moment we are still unable to pinpoint their exact location." She took out a few map printouts from the folder she had been carrying with her and passed them around. "We think they have various bases located around the Earth and possibly in the colonies as well so we've been keeping an eye on the most probable places. At the moment we are unsure if they are using mobile suits, but we're betting they are. It seems they want to restore OZ back to power and because of that they see the Gundam pilots and Relena Darlian as the greatest threats to their goal."

"Yeah," Duo piped up nodding his head in agreement, "especially since Miss Ex-Queen of the World over there foiled their attempts at world domination by uniting the Earth and the colonies."

"Hey!" Relena shouted indignantly, "What about you guys? I'm pretty sure that they have an even bigger grudge against the Gundam pilots since _**you're**_ the ones who destroyed the majority of their bases and mobile suits,"

"Well, we don't have our Gundams any more so I'm pretty sure they've already forgotten about us," Duo retorted, sticking out his tongue and delighting in the blush that spread across Relena's face.

"That's quite enough!" Zechs screamed.

"Sorry," Duo and Relena replied rather sheepishly, bowing their heads and avoiding Zechs' glare.

"Uh..." Sally began again, "Well, we will need to start planning the security details and figure out how many agents we'll need on this; as bodyguards and as part of the investigation team. Zechs and Noin will work in the intelligence and reconnaissance department for the time being." She turned to address the group of young men. "As for you four Gundam pilots, you will help with both the protection and investigation. Your talents and skills in upheaval and espionage are most desirable." There was a sadistic gleam that Wufei swore passed through her eyes before it vanished abruptly. "So we definitely have to use them to their fullest now or risk another crisis upon the Earth and colonies."

"Ugh, that just means we have to do more work," Duo moaned, flopping himself onto the grassy ground.

"Baka!" Wufei snapped, staring down at his comrade. "You would do well to keep your mouth shut for the duration of this meeting, Maxwell." He frowned before giving his attention back to his partner. "Honestly," the young man continued on, sighing, "how lazy can you be?"

From his position on the ground he looked up and gave the Chinese youth a deceiving smile. "What's your problem, Wuffie?"

At that affectionate nickname Wufei cleanched his jaw and whirled on the braided pilot. "_**Don't**_ call me that, Maxwell!" He fumed savagely.

Duo couldn't help the ear to ear grin currently plastered to his face. "Well, then don't call me Maxwell."

"But that _**is**_ your name!" Wufei responded, trying to keep up with Duo's level on insanity but failing quite miserably.

"No," the American pointed out, holding up a silencing had, "my name is Duo."

"Fine, _**Duo**_!" Wufei conceded relunctantly, "Just shut up!"

"Alright Wu-chan."

"ARRRRGGGGHHHHH! MAXWELL!"

The entire group burst out into laughter at the comedic scene in front of them. But once the laughter died down they quickly resumed their discussion, eager to finalize a plan. Amidst the surrounding trees and shrubbery a shadowy figure hid in darkness; though annoyed by their antics, it refrained from interfering.

"Hn."

-to be continued-


	3. Fleeting Moments

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, enough said.

Author's Note: The major changes made include a few dialogues and plot points.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 2: Fleeting Moments

By: Vegie-kun

The rest of the briefing went rather smoothly... more or less if one ignored Duo's constant chattering. By the end of the meeting a game plan had been laid out though implementing it would take considerably more time. Until then it was decided that the Gundam pilots would stay with Relena at her residence and act as bodyguards until their agendas were ironed out. Afterwards they continued to linger in meadow in an attempt to delay going back indoors; the day was just too beautiful to not take advantage of. As Zechs, Noin, Sally, Wufei and Trowa continued talking under the large dogwood tree, Relena, Duo, and Quatre sat near the pond.

_/Gosh I hadn't realize how much I actually missed them 'til now./ _Relena thought as she sat at the pond's edge with Duo and Quatre on either side of her._/I wish we could have gotten together under different circumstances… They all have their own lives to go back to... I hope they don't waste it all trying to protect me-/_

"Hey, 'Jousan. You okay?" Duo asked, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Huh? Oh... I'm fine, Duo," Relena replied with a smiled, "just thinking, that's all."

"Thinking about what?" he asked curiously.

"About this new threat," she answered glumly, "I'm... just worried that you guys might end up getting hurt... that's all."

"Us? Get hurt? Who do you think we are? Amateurs?" Duo joked with a grin.

She gave an audible sigh and returned his grin. "You're probably right. Being former Gundam pilots, I suppose you can more than handle yourselves..." she trailed off when she noticed how silent Quatre had gotten. He was lying on the grass with his hands behind his head, staring quietly at the sky. "Quatre, something on your mind?"

"Yeah...," he began, "there is." His face was solemn and his eyes were locked upon the vast expanse of blue before him. His voice was filled of concern when he began again. "We... we know, or at least we're 90% sure, that this enemy has mobile suits and, based on past experiences, we know that their numbers will just continue to grow." He became silent momentarily as he tried to put into words the feelings of his heart. "It worries me that we still don't have a clue as to where they're located. Without that vital piece of information we can't stop them while they're still relatively weak. Plus, by the time we do find them it may already be too late and we may not have the necessary sources required to bring them down. What will we do then? Especially since we don't have our Gundams?"

"C'mon Quatre, have a little more faith in yourself and the rest of us," Duo responded in a chipper voice. "Where is that old Winner optimism that we're all so familiar with?"

"Honestly," the young Arabian confided. "I'm just not so sure anymore... I just keep getting this weird feeling inside that… that things are going to turn out very bad."

The three became silent, staring at the scenery in an attempt to forget the imminent danger heading their way. As morning turned into noon they all decided to head back to the Peacecraft mansion for lunch and to get the pilots settled in. Sally however, declined the invitation, saying that she was still needed at headquarters for the time being, but promised to be there by the end of the week. With that settled, they all dispersed from there with the mysterious lurking shadow following close behind.

* * *

Once the group reached the mansion the butlers and maids were already at the entrance, having anticipated their arrival. Relena figured that her brother had called ahead while they were still at the meadow. With their luggage unloaded they proceeded through the large double doors, the servants greeting them as they entered.

Duo whistled loudly. "Wow... this place is even more impressive than I imagined!" He shouted in awe as he surveyed the surroundings, a large black duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "Hilde's descriptions really doesn't do this place justice. Makes me kinda regret turning down those party invites you sent me way 'Jousan."

Relena raised a skeptical brow in his direction. "So does this mean you'll come to the next party I invite you to?"

"Whoa now 'Jousan, hold your horses," Duo protested holding up a hand, "I never said that. But..." the look on contemplation on his face made Relena smile, "I guess it'll depend on whether or not I have to wear a tie to get in... and if there's an open bar."

"Maxwell, you're too easily persuaded," Wufei drawled, seemingly unimpressed by their surroundings, an equally hefty duffle bag in his hands. "I would hate to think of what it would take to make you crack should you ever be captured and interrogated."

Duo stuck out his tongue in response but Wufei had already gone on ahead. Quatre and Trowa followed right behind caught up in a conversation about how the fluctuating gravity of one colony was affecting fluid dynamics in its water system; having already given their luggage to the care of the servants. Duo would have jumped in since the topic was of interest to him, but he knew his current glucose levels wouldn't be able to support any sort of higher levels of brain functions.

"I hope you like it here, the help will lead you to your rooms," Zechs said as he walked beside them. "Once you unpack meet us in the dining room and we'll convene for lunch."

"Food! Alright! I knew you wouldn't let us starve!" Duo cheered as he enthusiastically followed a maid up the stairs.

"If he doesn't shut up I'm just tempted to do so," Zechs whispered to Noin who, in turn, elbowed him in the ribs.

* * *

Lunch was quite the feast; something that would usually be reserved for diplomatic gatherings. There were various kinds of sandwiches, grilled fish, roasted chicken, salads, pastas, fruits, cookies, cakes, and many types of beverages. Making his way into the room, Duo's face lit up like a beacon once he'd eyed the spread on the vast dining table. When everyone was seated, Duo wasted no time at all in piling his plate with anything within his reach. By the way he was eating everyone was speculating on whether he'd been kidnapped and starved for weeks prior to this meeting. Duo, on his part, couldn't be bothered with such jabs as he had more important matters to attend to. Of course those matters were pertaining to the food and so he continued to eat as if there was no tomorrow.

"Um... Duo" Quatre began nervously. "You shouldn't be eating like that. You could choke on something if you're not careful."

"Hey *crunch*..." Duo began, a drumstick in one hand and a fork in the other, still shoving food into his mouth. "Don't *chew* ... worry *swallow* Shinigami *slurp* can't *crunch* get hurt *chew* by a little *swallow* food-*choke*..."

"DUO!" everyone shouted as Quatre got up and ran behind Duo. The braided one should count himself lucky that Quatre was trained well in the Heimlich maneuver.

* * *

In comparison to the God of Death's ironic near death experience, the rest of the meal proceeded on uneventfully. When it came to an end Zechs and Noin decided to go back to Preventer Headquarters in order to check up with Sally and talk to Lady Une, while the rest opted to relax around the house. Wufei went to the library to do some reading, knowing that the Peacecrafts were highly likely to have an extensive collection on the history of mobile suit warfare. Duo on the other hand had somehow managed to persuade Trowa into teaching him how to juggle balls. Not wishing for their house to turn into an unwanted demolition ground, especially with all the priceless family heirloom scattered throughout the living room, Zechs banished them to the sunroom before departing. Quatre and Relena, minds set on catching up with each other's life, decided to retreat upstairs to the tearoom.

"My, Quatre, it's been awhile. The last time I really got to talk to you was during that last gala in Italy," Relena started as she poured tea for the both of them, handing him a cup when she finished.

"Thank you, Miss Relena," he said taking the offered cup. "Yes, it has been a long time, but you know how things are these days. I barely have time to myself before I have to go to another business meeting or colonial conference."

"Then how were you able to get time off for this?" Relena inquired as she took a sip.

"Well, when I got the call, Iria had just come back from her space station to visit," Quatre answered also taking a sip. "So I decided to just ask her to take care of things regarding the Corporation as a favor. Surprisingly, she was more than happy to do so…" He scratched at his cheek as he sheepishly stared into his cup. "Although, I do feel kind of guilty for dumping all that responsibility on her..."

"Don't worry," Relena comforted, "I'm sure you never would have asked if you weren't sure she could handle the situation. Besides, doesn't she have **40** Maganacs to help her out?"

"Hahaha... Oh gosh," the young man laughed nervously, "I feel sorry for Rashid and the others. Iria can sometimes be really strict and overbearing."

The two continued to drink and chat about the past conferences they attended, joking about the way some of the other politicians fumed when their requests were denied. What was really amusing was how many of them resembled boiling tea kettles; their ears seemingly ready to let out steam as their faces scrunched up and turned red. They also shared tips on how to stay awake during the especially long and boring meetings. Quatre's method was to imagine that there were flamingos sitting on the representatives' heads. Relena's approach was to try and imagine them as barn animals. As they continued to talk it soon became dark and Quatre came to ask the inevitable question.

"Miss Relena..." Quatre began heistantly "I didn't want to be the one to bring this up… but has Heero made any attempts to contact you recently?"

She dropped her cup back down onto the saucer. "Actually... no," she replied, sadness tinged her voice and she lowered her gaze to stare at her cup.

"I'm sorry to have asked," the young man apologized almost immediately, "but the process of locating him has been extremely difficult. He would be a big help if we could just get a hold of him."

"Quatre..." Relena looked up and regarded him with sympathy. "I'm well aware of how crucial his help would be to the Preventers and if I knew where he was or how to reach him I would gladly do it for you," she leveled him with a stern gaze before shaking her head and softening her tone, "Unfortunately I gave up looking for him long ago. He has his own life to live and I had to move on with mine."

Quatre's expression turned somber, having regretted stepping on that landmine. "... I understand, but we're not giving up our search... Will you be okay when we do find him?"

She gave a lopsided grin and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sure I'll manage somehow... Anyways, if you'll please excuse me dear Quatre, I have the urge to get some fresh air. I'll be in the garden if you need me." Putting her cup down, she got up to leave the room.

"Do you want some company?" Quatre asked as she reached the door.

"No, thank you, I would really like some time alone to think about everything that's happening," she replied as she walked out into the hallway.

Walking downstairs she noticed that Duo was doing a pretty decent job of juggling what appeared to be three balls. _/Wow, I wish I could learn to do things that fast. __**Ha**__! Like I have time to __**adopt**__ a hobby.../_She thought sadly as she made her way out to the gardens.

* * *

Once outside she began to stroll down the cobbled path. Though her original intent was to clear her thoughts she found them swirling relentlessly instead. _/I __**CAN'T**__ believe I'm still incapable of keeping a straight face every time __**HIS**__ name is mentioned. I already made the decision long ago to leave him alone... so why is it so hard forget him?... I can't forget the other pilots either, but I actually do see them on occasion and I definitely don't react this strangely at the mentioning of their names. Maybe I really do love him... but I guess I'll never know./_ As her thoughts drifted she failed to notice a loose cobblestone. When her foot landed on it the stone dislodged and she fell forward. Closing her eyes she braced herself for the fall, but a strong arm wrapped itself around her small waist from behind. The arm positioned her on her feet and a familiar voice spoke up.

"What are you doing out here alone?" came the monotone, detached voice.

Relena opened her eyes and her body stiffened. She hesitated at first before steeling her nerves as she turned around to stand facing unruly dark brown hair, emotionless features, and penetrating Prussian blue eyes.

"He... Heero..." was all she could manage, still recovering from the shock.

She just stood there staring at the young man, noticing how tall he had gotten since she last saw him. She was level with his eyes when they had first met but he was now a good 178 cm. His shoulders had broadened though his physique still remained slender; not uncommon for someone of his eighteen years. In all, he hadn't changed much, though his features had lost much of its boyishness. Even though she was frustrated with him she couldn't deny how handsome he'd become.

"What are you doing out here alone?" He repeated more sternly. "Don't you know there are people out there who are after your life?"

She clenched her fists before crossing her arms over her chest. "What's wrong with being out here alone?" she asked defensively. "I have bodyguards watching me everywhere I go already. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to get at least five minutes to myself?"

"It's not safe, go back inside," he ordered.

"What makes you think you can tell me what to do?" she seethed with quiet fury, on the verge of losing her composure. "I haven't seen you in almost two years and now you show up out of the blue and start giving out orders expecting me to obey. Well forget it, I'm staying out here."

Heero knew it was pointless to continue arguing with her when she'd set her mind on something. "... Fine," he conceded, "but I'm going to stay out here as well then." With that he began walking ahead of her.

Shocked silent by that unexpected response she could only nod dumbly and walked quickly to catch up with him. "So, Heero... ," she began with slight trepidation, "How are you?" she asked, hoping to spark a conversation.

"Well." The response was curt and to-the-point; typical Heero Yuy.

She regarded him with an indiscernible gaze before shaking her head to clear her thoughts. Once her thoughts were in order she smiled and continued on. "Since you actually decided to grace me with your presence I guess you know about the current situation, huh?"

"Yes," he began, "I've been tracking this particular group down and observing them for the past year; however, they're larger than what Sally Po mentioned earlier."

"Wait a minute!" she shouted, stepping out in front of him, halting his forward gait. "You were there at the meadow today? How did you know about that meeting?"

"I may have spent the past year tracking them down, but I've also been keeping tabs on you. The current bodyguards you have are barely qualified enough to protect a sack of potatoes much less the Foreign Minister," he said as he started walking again.

"You've..." she ventured hesitantly, "been keeping tabs on me?"

"Someone has to." He replied with a stern look. "Besides you're too careless when you do things like this. If I were an assassin you'd be dead by now."

"Well, not every assassin is as skilled as the great Heero Yuy, now are they?" she teased; smiling when she saw a look of surprise momentarily flash across his face. "I'm just surprised that you care about me enough to actually look after me."

"I don't. I do it because you're important to both the Earth and colonies. If something happened to you, we could have another war on our hands."

"Really now?" she queried, staring up innocently as she leaned into him.

Oblivious to Relena, Heero's heart began to beat faster. _/What's going on? Why is my heart like this? It usually doesn't do this unless I'm under attack… Is it because she's so close?... No, it can't be... Shit! Get a hold of yourself, Yuy!/_

"Yes," was the monotone reply.

"Oh well, it was worth a try..." she mused to herself, "but I really do miss you... Hey… may I ask you a question?"

He glanced at down her briefly before returning his attention to their surroundings. "I won't guarantee an answer."

"…Why is it that at times I feel like we're finally starting to understand each other yet on other occasions you seem to shut me out completely?" She lengthened her stride to keep up with his pace. "I mean… I've done nothing but try to be your friend."

He regarded her with an indiscernible look and contemplated the question for a few seconds. "Friends aren't needed on the battlefield, allies are."

"Oh, is that all I am?" her voice solemn. "... You want to know something?"

"…What?"

"You already know I had to give up being the ruler of the Sanc kingdom because of the Romefellar' Foundation. But if I really tried, I could have gotten the E.S.U.N to restore its borders and reinstate it as a sovereign nation. They wouldn't have denied me that if I really desired it," she paused for a while before continuing. "But I chose not to because I knew I couldn't truly follow the kingdom's teachings and principles anymore. The events involving Mariemaia and Dekim Barton made me see that pacifism doesn't always work. It does when both sides are willing to listen, but that's rarely the case, right?" She clasped her hands together and let out a heavy sigh. "Sometimes I find myself questioning whether the decisions I made about Sanc were correct, if what I'm doing now is truly beneficial to anybody… if my life is what's causing other people to suffer… if it's what's causing you to suffer… "

"Do you honestly believe that?" Heero asked in a detached voice.

"… Maybe," she began again, "I want to be able to provide the people, our friends, and especially you with some sort of hope... but not at the cost of your lives! Even though I came to realize long ago that fighting is sometimes necessary… I can't stand seeing people get injured; I'm tired of seeing them get hurt."

"Relena, you are stronger than you think," Heero chided her, "Not many people had the courage to stand up to OZ, Romefeller, Mariemaia, and Barton, but you did. Even now you are strong enough to face this OZ, and if you need help I will be there. I'll do all I can to make your dreams and visions come true. And when they do come true I will do everything within my powers to protect them as best I can."

"Heero..." Relena gasped, surprised by his admission.

_/Shit! Did I say all that out loud? When did I become such a blubbering idiot?! Damn! Just shut up already!/_

She laughed softly, touched by his words. "Thank you, that means a lot to me," she smiled up at him. "I'm glad you came. At least now, if I do get killed, I was able to see you one last time."

"You won't die." His usual monotone voice held a steadfast determination.

"I beg to differ," came another voice from behind them.

-to be continued-


	4. Defeat and Loss

Disclaimer: Don't own Gundam Wing, never have, never will.

Author's Note: Some background story was changed here and there but overall this chapter remained the same. I've also decided to forego most of the Japanese that was in the original version. Somehow it didn't seem to fit in as well as it did when I first started this story.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 3: Defeat and Loss

By: Vegie-kun

At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, Heero and Relena quickly turned around. The person who greeted them was a man dressed in a black military uniform, and as Heero mentally noted, one designed for covert operations. The gun he held, pointing straight at the former Gundam pilot, left little doubt in their minds as to what they were here to accomplish. Heero, quicker than the normal eye could see, pulled out his own gun from the holster around his waist to train at their uninvited interloper. As soon as he did so, the sound of rustling leaves and cocking guns filled their ears.

"Heero..." Relena whispered, frightened, and inched closer to him.

Heero momentarily took his eyes from the man in front of him to assess their current situation. His eyes shifted slightly to the right then left and he counted at least fifteen men surrounding them with guns drawn. "I suggest you put that gun down," the man in front said, "If you do, we might just consider taking you in as a prisoner instead of killing you outright."

Heero didn't waiver at those words, instead, his glare became even harder and colder. His eyes never left the man as he grabbed Relena's hand to pull her closer to him.

"Relena," he whispered, "when I give the word, drop down to the ground. Got it?"

"… Alright," she whispered back. "Please be careful..."

"NOW!"

Relena quickly dropped to the ground and Heero began to shoot at the figures in black, taking down three of them with extreme precision and speed. Those he didn't manage to shoot down fired back, but Heero quickly jumped out of the way. He landed and rolled on the ground, firing his gun and taking down another enemy. They quickly scattered themselves behind trees and bushes and anywhere else the shadows would hide them, in an attempt to dodge Heero's deadly aim.

_/Shit! I recognize that guy now! That was the Gundam pilot of WingZERO, Heero Yuy. No wonder he took down our men so fast. I've got to be more careful from now on./ _The enemy squad leader realized as he managed to find safety behind a tree.

* * *

"Maxwell! Will you turn down the music?! I'm trying to read!" Wufei yelled as he came out of the library and entered the main living room. He was none too pleased with the sight that welcomed him.

Duo, sprawled out on a lavishly decorated and very comfortable couch, was listening to very loud rock music on the Peacecraft's state-of-the-art stereo sound system. He was so relaxed he barely heard or noticed Wufei until the Chinese man was hovering over him with a 'Heero Yuy' death glare. Duo quickly turned off the stereo and apologized. "Sorry 'bout that Wufei, I didn't realize it was that loud."

"I would prefer it if you stopped listening to that sort of rubbish altogether," Wufei said while scanning the room. "Hey, where did Barton go?"

"I-I don't know." Duo realized as he turned his head in hopes of spotting the tall pilot. "I guess he musta slipped out awhile ago."

* * *

The darkness along with their black uniform hid them well and to a normal soldier that kind of disadvantage would have proven fatal, but Heero had never been a normal soldier. Using his keen senses, born of natural talent and combined with years of training, he managed to locate them by the sounds of their movement. _/Don't think that you can hide from me. I'm more experienced in this line of work than you'll ever be./ _Heero stalked around the garden quietly, like a predator hunting its prey. Taking a few more steps he looked down and saw the shadows made by the leaves of a nearby bush moving and paused. Stilling his breath he listened intently to his surroundings. Without further warning he suddenly jumped, almost soundlessly, behind that bush taking out two more figures. Unfortunately the remaining soldiers were faster and proved to be more elusive than the Japanese anticipated. Heero soon found himself out of bullets with at least six more targets to take down. He quickly ran over to a huddled figure and stood his ground, guarding Relena as she knelt close to the cobblestone path.

*BANG*

A bullet suddenly come out from the shadows and struck Heero's shoulder from the back. Without so much as a grunt to acknowledge the shot he fell to his knees, one hand still on the gun while the other felt for the wound.

"Heero! Are you okay?!" Relena cried out fearfully as she put a hand on his back, feeling the wet blood.

_/Shit! I didn't expect them to send this many people just to kill_ her.../ He mentally berated himself. He turned his head left and right, scanning the grounds to ascertain the enemies' whereabouts and assess the situation they were currently in._ /Were they expecting me? No, that couldn't be it.../_

Heero continued to stay quiet, his mind working quickly, simultaneously trying to devise an alternative plan while ignoring the pain in his shoulder. He soon heard more rustling and jerked his head upwards to see the remaining six figures walking towards them slowly and cautiously. Then, to everyone's surprise, he quickly lunged at the figure in front of him. As soon as he was on top, he swung out with his gun and knocked the man unconscious. Another soldier shot at his head, but Heero quickly ducked then swept the man's feet from under him. However, as he moved to get up another figure shot him in his other shoulder, causing him to stumble backwards. Suppressing the pain radiating from his new wound, Heero managed to lift his head up only to find himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

*BANG*

The enemy fell right before him, clutching the arm that previously held a gun to his head. Heero turned to his left to see where the shot had come from and caught sight of Trowa standing only a few meters away, smoking gun in hand.

"Need some help?" He asked with a wry grin.

Heero didn't say a word, but his thanks and gratitude were clearly expressed through his eyes and that was enough for Trowa.

"HEERO! HELP!" Relena's scream pierced the night sky. Two of the four remaining men had grabbed Relena and were all now making a hasty retreat back into the darkness.

"Relena!" Heero shouted as he got up and tried to run after them. His pursuit was halted however when one of the enemies spotted him and threw an object in the young man's direction. The object landed a few meters away from Heero, beeped a few times then exploded, sending the unfortunate Japanese youth tumbling across the ground.

* * *

"Damn! What the hell was that!" exclaimed Duo as he quickly got up from the couch. He suddenly heard running footsteps and immediately looked towards the stairs to see Quatre making his way down.

"Guys! There was an explosion outside near the garden!" Quatre informed. "I saw it from the upstairs window. We have to get out there and fast! Relena went out for a walk near there!"

"Oh no, Relena!" Duo shouted as the three made their way outside.

* * *

When the smoke began to clear Trowa found Heero sprawled on the ground, soaked in his own blood, face bruised, cut, and dirty. Trowa walked towards his fallen comrade and proceeded to help him up. Heero's eyes shot open immediately and he slapped Trowa's hand away from him, denying the offered assistance.

"I can get up myself," Heero replied coldly. Just as he got up he saw Quatre, Duo, and Wufei running towards them.

"What happened?!" Quatre asked panicked.

"Relena was taken by some unidentified men," Trowa responded stoicly.

"Most likely that new OZ organization," Wufei muttered under his breath as he surveyed the grounds for any potential lingering threat. "Those low life scum... When I get my hands on them I'll make them pay dearly for this."

"Dammit! I can't believe we let this happen," Duo cursed as he surveyed the damage and the bodies littering the garden. All three were so caught up with surveying the rubble it was minutes before they registered Heero's presence.

"Heero?! You're here!" Quatre shouted in surprise as he noticed the injured young man staggering towards the mansion.

"Oi, Heero! Stop, man," Duo said jumping forward to block off his path. "Tell us what happened."

"I don't have time for this," Heero replied coldly, "I have to find Relena; there's no telling what OZ is going to do with her."

"Then help us, or at least let us help you. We were responsible for protecting her you know!" Duo snapped. His face was unwavering but his eyes betrayed the grief and sadness running through him.

"We shouldn't be wasting time arguing," Wufei cut in, "Come on Yuy, let's go inside and have those wounds tended. We'll also need to call Sally, Noin, and Zechs and inform them of what's happened." The grip Wufei had on Heero's wrist made it clear to the Japanese that there was no room for further protests. His jaw clenched into a tight grimace as he allowed himself to be led to the mansion with Duo, Quatre, and Trowa following behind.

* * *

It was about 9:25 pm by the time Zechs, Sally, and Noin arrived at the mansion. Once they were informed of what had occurred over the phone, the three rushed there as quickly as possible. To no one's surprise, Zechs was furious and directed all his anger at the closest thing within reach - Heero.

"How the hell did you let this happen!? Dammit, aren't you supposed to be 'The Perfect Soldier'!?" Zechs fumed as he grab Heero's collar and stared down at him. "Dammit, Yuy! We try for months to get in contact with you but you ignore everything we send your way! Then all of a sudden you just decide to show yourself... only to royally fuck everything up!"

"Zechs! Stop it!"

He ignored Noin's plea. "If you had just shown yourself earlier none of this would've happened!" His eyes narrowed and his lip curled up in disgust, "The only reason she was out there was because of you!"

"I know that," Heero's seethed coldly as he matched Zechs' icy glare with an even icier one of his own. "I did everything I could to protect her."

"Yeah, you did a real good job of protecting her," the older man sneered back.

"At least I was there," Heero retorted in his monotone voice as he wrenched his shirt collar free.

"How dare you-"

"ZECHS! That's enough!" Noin snapped angrily. "Fighting one another won't help get Relena back."

"Noin's right," Sally spoke up, "We won't get anywhere this way. Now Heero, tell us exactly what happened. How many men attacked you and Relena?"

Prying his eyes away from the deadly glare of the elder Peacecraft, the wounded young man surveyed the room and saw that he had everyone's attention. "Fifteen. I managed to take down ten and Trowa took down one as well," Heero answered stoically.

"Fifteen? Wow, I can't believe you were able to hold off that many for the duration of that time," Quatre whispered from the corner he occupied, clearly impressed with Heero's abilities.

"Do you know what they were trying to do? Were they trying to kill Relena?" Sally asked calmly.

"No," he stated simply. "They directed all their fire at me and left Relena alone. They were also using standard hand guns. If they wanted to kill Relena it would have been more logical to use a long distance sniper." Mentally he recalled what had transpired, "They were looking to kidnap her, not kill her."

"You seem to know a lot about this, don't you, Yuy?" Zechs queried as he eyed the shorter boy. "Tell us what the hell you're doing here!"

"I came here to protect Relena," Heero stated, his declaration firm and unwavering, "and to also deliver a message."

"What message?" Zechs inquired.

Heero looked around the room to catch the gaze of his fellow Gundam pilots. "As of this moment reconstruction of all five Gundams are 75% complete."

All heads turned towards him, "GUNDAMS?!"

"Y-You mean our Gundams are being rebuilt?" stuttered Duo. "B-But… who would?"

"Our former mentors," Heero replied indifferently. "We are to report to L1 in two weeks for re-training."

Quatre stared at Heero, looking bewildered. "They're alive? I thought they died when they crashed Peacemillion into Libra."

"You know what they say about roaches, Quatre. They're the only things that can survive a nuclear holocaust," Duo joked lightly. "By the way, Heero, I know those geezers are considered geniuses when it comes to mobile suits but still..." He crossed his arms over his chest and cocked his head to the side. "I mean it must have taken them at least a year to rebuild the Gundams this far. So how did they catch wind of this before we did?"

"They used the old prototypes that our Gundams were modeled after," Heero began, "Though WingZERO was the original prototype, they all made a second prototype for each Gundam before scraping them halfway due to design changes."

"That's right..." Quatre piped up, "I remember seeing those old blueprints with the ones of WingZERO in that lab. We ignored them when it was obvious they didn't match up to the firepower of the Gundams we were using at the time."

"Indeed..." Heero began again, "But even though they were considered inferior, those prototypes were still hidden well enough away to keep White Fang from catching wind of them during the war. With those unfinished suits they were able to remodel them instead of having to start over from scratch just."

"That makes sense..." Duo remarked, "since I doubt they're able to get their hands on the same level of resources they did during the last war now that the Barton Foundation is no longer backing them."

Heero nodded at the correct assessment made by the American before continuing. "As to when they started this project, reconstruction of the Gundams began six months ago when I contacted and told them about this new OZ."

"Well then, Yuy, how did you find out about this new OZ?" Wufei inquired.

"About a year ago I noticed some strange activities going on at the transportation company I was working at. During a number of shipments they started to lose small amounts of material that went into building the labor mobile suits. The shipping weight before and after transportation didn't match up." Heero paused for a while to make sure that the others were listening. "At first it didn't seem odd because it could have been mismanagement or just a filing mistake; however, it began to occur with more frequency. When I checked with other companies it appeared they were having the same problems. I started to look further into it, locating the areas where materials were reported missing. No one there seemed to be aware of anything amiss. My guess was that it was an-"

"Inside job," Duo finished.

"Correct." Heero confirmed sternly, "I decided to investigate the people who worked at one of the companies and was able to isolate one of them. I forced him to tell me everything he knew. But it turned out that he didn't know much. He was just told by his superiors to sneak away some mobile suit materials without raising suspicion. After that I tracked down the old geezers and informed them of the latest developments and left the man I interrogated with them. Reconstruction of the Gundams began shortly afterwards."

"Man, those OZ creeps sure are sneaky sons of-Oi! Heero, where are you going?" Duo hollered when he noticed Heero walking towards the door. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"Of course he's leaving," Zechs gritted through his teeth. "He always leaves whenever Relena needs him."

"Zechs, you know that's not true!" Noin protested. "Heero, please don't go. We could really use your help with the investigation. We can get this done a whole lot faster and get Relena back quicker if you stay."

"Fine," Heero said before he left the room.

"This must really be tearing him up inside," Quatre said, concern written all over his face.

"So what do we do now?" Duo piped up.

"Well," Noin interjected, "if we don't get Relena back before the conference next week, the public and the Earth Sphere Unified Nation will know that something is wrong. When that happens we have no other choice but to tell them."

"We can't do that! When they hear that Miss Relena has been kidnapped they're just going to start pointing fingers at each other. Some of them might even use this to their advantage and start causing trouble," protested Quatre.

"We won't have a choice about that," Noin confessed in defeat.

* * *

Outside, near the side of the mansion, a lone figure stood, venting his frustration on the mansion's hapless wall. His head rested against the wall while his fists made slow, steady punches on the deceivingly smooth surface.

_/Shit!/ _*punch*_ /Shit!/ _*punch* _/Shit!/ _*punch* _/DAMMIT I FAILED!/ _*punch* _/Relena... please forgive me.../ _*punch* _/I didn't mean to let this happen to you.../ _*punch* _/I promise I'll find you, and if they do anything to you, I'll make them all pay dearly-/_

"I don't think that wall can take any more damage."

Heero stopped his relentless abuse and turned to his right to see Trowa leaning with his back against the wall. The taller pilot had his eyes closed as his head bent forward, arms crossed over his chest. "It wasn't your fault," he entreated in an uncharacteristically compassionate voice.

"It was my duty to protect her and I failed," Heero countered, as he leaned his head against the wall again.

Trowa's eyes softened as he gave the shorter man a sympathetic smile. "You care about her, don't you?"

"She's important to the Earth and colonies, and she brings the people hope," he replied indifferently.

Trowa smirked at Heero's predictable response. "I see... So… why were you working for a shipping company?" he asked trying to lighten the mood.

Heero regarded him with an impassive gaze. "It was a low profile job and I needed the money to pay for school..." he was quiet again.

"School? What would you need to go to school for?" Trowa asked, clearly amused.

"Getting a respectable job isn't easy without a college degree these days, Trowa."

Trowa laughed aloud and shook his head. "What about Relena? She was the Vice Foreign Minister at 16 and now, barely even 18 she's the Foreign Minister. Besides, Heero," He began seriously once more, "couldn't you have just hacked into the Department of Education's database and given yourself a degree? From what Duo told me, you were quite proficient at falsifying school records."

"…."

Trowa smiled as he laid a hand on Heero's shoulder. "Don't worry," he reassured his friend, "we'll find her."

* * *

"What are you planning to do with me!?" Relena demanded as a soldier shoved her into a dark cell. "If you're going to kill me then I suggest you do it now."

"My, my, my, such spirit and determination," came a condescending voice. Relena looked past the soldier to the shadow behind him and gazed into ice-cold blue eyes.

"What do you plan to do with me?" she asked more firmly. "If you think you can use me to get what you want from the Earth Sphere Unified Nation then you are sadly mistaken, they would never give in to such demands from terrorists. And quite frankly I would rather kill myself before I let that happen."

"Oh, we're not going to use you as a bargaining chip, but we do plan to use you for something," the man replied with a sinister gleam in his eyes. Suddenly another soldier appeared from behind.

"General Whitenburg, sir!" the soldier saluted. "The doctors are ready to begin."

"Good," came the cold reply as he continued to eye Relena as she began to retreat to the back of the cell.

-to be continued-


	5. Fading Hope

Disclaimer: Like I said before, I don't own Gundam Wing; I just want to mess around with their characters.

Author's Note: Again since Zechs is no longer ruling Sanc I had to change all the stuff that had him in it. I replaced him with Lady Une in the ending speech because she has more experience than him in terms of public speaking.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 4: Fading Hope

By: Vegie-kun

Six days came and went without further incident; the Gundam pilots and Preventers still had yet to discover any evidence of Relena's whereabouts. They couldn't even confirm whether or not she was still alive or dead. It seemed like she just vanished off the face of the Earth. Quatre and Duo returned to the colonies in hopes of finding some indication that she had been taken there. However, chances of that were slim since analysis of recent shuttle flights, both for passengers and cargo, yielded nothing suspicious. Wufei and Trowa decided to go undercover in an attempt to unearth any information they could get in the underground syndicates and black-markets. They knew Relena was a valuable person and countries would pay anything to get their hands on her, to use as a trophy, propaganda or negotiation tool. Sally and the Preventers had fanned out across the globe, spurred on by rumors, logical guesses, and whatever little information they were able to glean from the captured OZ soldiers. In the meantime Zechs and Noin had taken over Relena's workload to cover up the fact that she was missing but giving the politicians of the E.S.U.N the runaround was proving to be more and more difficult with each passing day. Heero on the other hand had vanished, though he made daily calls to the Preventer's Headquarters to report his findings, or rather lack-there-of. It was a valiant attempt on his part to show the others that he was giving them his full cooperation. They had only one day left before they had to announce to the public that the Foreign Minister of the E.S.U.N had been kidnapped and the week was drawing to a close.

* * *

In a port located on L4 a shuttle had just landed. Once the spacecraft was secured, a throng of people began to file out. The last to leave were two young men. The taller of the two wore a black leather jacket, a red T-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. His chestnut colored hair was covered by a black cap, his braid tucked underneath his jacket. The smaller one had platinum blond hair and wore a blue button-down shirt, nicely pressed khakis, and dark sunglasses. Both walked out carrying a large duffle bag and looked like they hadn't had a decent night's sleep in days.

The blond looked towards the artificial sky and sighed heavily, visibly weary. /We've_ been going through every single colony and we still haven't found anything. Wherever OZ took her, they made sure she wouldn't be easily found. Even those OZ soldiers we detained and interrogated refused to talk... They even killed themselves so they wouldn't betray the organization... This situation is getting more hopeless by the minute./_

"So, Quatre," Duo piped up, bored from the silence that hung in the air, "when are we gonna have lunch? I'm starving!"

"Duo, this is not the time to be thinking about food!" Quatre snapped uncharacteristically, "Can't you be serious for once? If we can't find her on this colony then Colonel Une will have no other choice than to release this news to the public. When that happens, all hell will break loose," Quatre's voice turned serious and grave. "For all we know, she could already be dead-"

"Now stop that!" Duo jumped in front of Quatre, his face burning red, trying to suppress his anger. "Relena is not dead! She can't be. They wouldn't kidnap her just to kill her. It just wouldn't make sense. We're going to find her, even if it takes us forever, b-because I know she's out there..." Tears started to formed at the corner of his eyes but he held them back as best as he could. Quatre saw his pain and placed a hand on Duo's shoulder to comfort him.

"... I-I'm sorry Duo," he apologized, "I know you care a lot about her... it's just that I'm so frustrated. I mean... we're doing our best to find Relena so that those damn politicians won't worry, but they never really cared for her or for what she tried to do for everyone. I just get so riled up when I think about how Relena was fighting to protect _**those **_kinds of people." He turned his head to the side to hide the tears also forming in his own eyes.

"You know that she didn't do it for them; she did it for the innocent people who suffered during the wars. She did it for you and me and the rest of the guys... C'mon," Duo comforted with a forced smile, though a smile nonetheless, "are we going to start looking for her or what? The sooner we get to a computer, the sooner we can hack into this colony's files and records and go back to Earth and rejoin the others." With that said the two pilots were off again heading in the direction of the Winner estate.

* * *

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

"Come in."

Noin poked her head through the door before walking into the office carrying a manila folder under her right arm. She walked across the length of the room to the desk situated near the window in the back. Before the man behind it could address her, she seated herself in a chair and threw the folder on his desk.

"After six days, this was all we managed to get done," the woman said in disgust.

"Lu..."

"Zechs... what are we going to do? The Earth Sphere Unified Nation has already started to ask questions about why they haven't been able to speak to Relena personally. We can't withhold this information any longer... have you finished overlooking the recon data the team in Australia sent today?" she asked, frustration etched on her face.

The man got out of his chair and walked around the desk to stand next to her. He laid a hand her shoulder and squeezed gently in an effort to comfort her. _/If this wasn't such a grave situation I'd be able to show you more affection. I'm sorry I can't do anything more to ease your pain, Lucrezia.../_ "Lu, Relena is a strong girl; she wouldn't die on us that easily. And about the data, I just finished when you walked in." Hesitating momentarily he took his hand from her shoulder and reached out to grab the folder. Opening it, he scanned the pages and gave a slight gasp. He looked at Noin questioningly. "Is this correct?"

"Yes," she sighed as if anticipating his thoughts, "those numbers are correct. After we finished calculating the data Heero gave us, this was the _**lowest**_ estimate we could come up with. The amount of material reported missing is enough to make those amounts for each type of mobile suit," she paused as her brows furrowed in concern, "but that isn't the worst case scenario… _**that's**_ on page three. It seems that this has gone unnoticed for a longer period of time than we had anticipated; however, we don't know if they plan on building the old mobile suit models or if they've come up with something totally new. If it's a different breed of suits who knows what the numbers may be... I don't know which scenario I'd rather face; larger numbers of the basic models or smaller numbers of the more advance units…"

"Dammit! Heero should have come to us about this sooner! Then we could have avoided all this turmoil," the man scowled and tried to walk away only to have a hand grab his wrist none to gently. He turned around and met impatient dark eyes.

"Zechs, stop blaming Heero for all of this. It _**wasn't**_ his fault. He couldn't just go and make a move without confirming things first. Heero's actions were what Relena would have taken if she was the one who found out." She eased her grip and her eyes softened. "I know that you and Heero haven't really gotten along in the past but you two have to make amends with each other now. If not for your own well being... then for Relena's. You and Heero are the two most important men in her life and whether you believe it or not, she loves him."

"I will not make amends with him until I see Relena back in this office safe and sound. Until then I will continue to place him at fault because we could have been better prepared had he just given us an idea of what was taking place," he said in a voice with steady, cold anger. "Surely you haven't forgotten all the stunts he's tried in the past: withholding information from us and making things more difficult for himself and the rest of the world? And if she turns up dead then I will make him wish that he was as well." With that he stormed out of the office leaving Noin to stand there alone and helpless, with a desolate look on her face.

"Oh Zechs, aren't you the one making it more difficult than what it has to be?" she asked, staring at the door he exited.

* * *

"Damn! Another dead end," growled a young Asian man wearing a well-tailored dark navy-blue suit. "This information is garbage. We might as well stop downloading the rest of it; it's practically useless."

Trowa and Wufei had decided to go undercover as the bodyguards for a particularly wealthy arms dealer with high access in many underground organizations and crime syndicates. Despite their youthful appearance, their natural skills in handling guns and hand-to-hand combat made them the obvious choice as protectors for the syndicate's arms dealer. Prior to being hired they had created false identities for themselves. Should the syndicate ever need to check on their backgrounds they would only find one Marcus Taylor and one Zheng Mingshan. They suspected the organization had a lot to gain with Relena's death, mainly by selling weapons to the countries that would easily go to war without the Foreign Minister around.

"Don't always take things at face value, Wufei," Trowa interjected calmly, as he hovered above a computer. "Things that appear useless are probably meant to look that way so as to throw off suspicion." With that the room became silent once more.

"We have one eight more days before we leave this investigation to start training once more," the Asian man mused to himself. "By that time our Gundams will be 85% complete." Wufei didn't like the idea of staying in this place for any longer than they necessarily had to. It wasn't because the potential danger of being caught scared him; it was that being around such degenerate lowlifes disgusted him. In the three and a half days that he and Trowa worked there, Wufei had seen some of the most disturbing sights ever, especially during their trips to the black market. He saw slave trades, drug deals, and lots of corruption. Deep inside he hoped that Relena was as far away from this place as possible; the thought of any girl here was sickening.

"I'm done," Trowa's voice broke Wufei from his thoughts.

"Well then," Wufei sighed, "we better get back before they suspect something. I'll contact Major Po later tonight to tell her about our findings and ask her to send a troop of Preventers to break this up before it gets worse."

The two fixed the office making it look as if their intrusion had never occurred. They checked to see that no one was around in the hallway before walking soundlessly back to their rooms.

* * *

Inside a small apartment in a building seemingly all but abandoned, a faint glow could be seen beneath the doorway. Unfurnished and bare, it was as if it'd been vacated long ago if not for the slender figure hunched over a laptop. His face, bathed in the blue glowing light of the screen, showed nothing, his mind solely devoted to the task at hand. His fingers flew over the keyboard like a blur, almost unconscious of what they were doing. Suddenly the screen changed and the image of three metal claws appeared before him.

"Doctor J." the boy acknowledged, his concentration broken.

"Hello, Heero," the image of the old man soon graced the screen, "How are things going? Have you located any of their bases yet?"

"Just one," was the cold and monotone reply, "it's too small to do much harm, but I'll go ahead and destroy it anyways." Judging by his tone of voice anyone could see that Heero Yuy had gone back into complete soldier mode. He was totally different from the person just six days earlier who vented his anger at an unarmed wall. Any emotion that once presided in that body was completely gone now.

"Good, Heero, that's my boy. What about Darlian? The Earth and colonies are getting uneasy and trust is wearing thin."

"There are still no signs of her so far..." At the mention of her name Heero seemed almost lost, a vacant look washed over his face. _/I swore I'd protect you... and I failed-/_

"Hmm… I wonder what they've got planned for her. With such a person in their grasp one would think they'd already try to use her as some sort of bargaining chip." The doctor contemplated things for a few seconds before returning his attention to his pilot, "Heero, I also wanted to inform you that I'm going to make some minor modifications to your Gundam. Because we don't have the same resources at our disposal as we did during the war we weren't able to get enough Gundanium to build the Gundams to their original specs. I had to sacrifice giving WingZERO a double reinforced outer armor so it won't be able to withstand the same amount of impact as before. The thrusters and jet engines have also been modified to give higher output and combined with the lighter weight it'll much faster than what you're used to, but I'm sure you'll adjust to it all nicely after some training. We will tune WingZERO to your specific needs once you arrive. You know where to meet us." The old man stopped and waited for acknowledgment from the silent boy.

"Ryoukai," With that the image disappeared and the previous screen reappeared. Heero began typing away again only to find that his concentration had not returned. Staring at the screen for a moment he saved the data before turning it off. _/What's wrong with you, Yuy... it's not like you haven't botched a mission before... so why the shitty feeling?/_

Not even aware of his actions, he turned the laptop on again. Instead of finishing his previous assignment he clicked of a file entitled 'Peace'. Suddenly the bio for Relena Darlian/Peacecraft popped up and Heero quickly scanned through the reports that pertained to her. _/She tries to do too much... for too many people-/_

_*FLASHBACK*_

_ "... I've done nothing but try to be your friend."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Relena..." he said softly, "I nee-... you are-"

_*FLASHBACK*_

_"Friends aren't needed on the battlefield, allies are."_

_ "Oh, is that all I am?"_

_ "Friends aren't needed on the battlefield."_

_ "Oh, is that all I am?"_

_ "Friends aren't needed."_

_ "Oh, is that all I am?"_

_ "Friends."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"A friend..." Silence fell once again as he turned off the device and proceeded to get some sleep. Tomorrow he would be off to destroy that base and regardless of how small it was, he would give them no mercy. _/::B-But what if she's there? Can you handle another innocent life on hands?::/_"…."

* * *

"Ow... my head," the girl's soft voice echoed throughout the empty cell. "Why does my head hurt so much?" She grasped at her head and squeezed, trying to contain whatever was threatening to bursts out. _/God! It's so excruciating!/_ Her breathing became erratic and her heart began to race as she sat there huddled on the cold floor. It was minutes before the throbbing pain finally began to subside. Her quiet gasps soon faded and she opened her eyes once more.

She made to get up and look around but gave up in a few seconds when she realized that the room was completely void of light. She sighed in exhaustion and slumped to the ground once more. Her brows furrowed deep in concentration as she tried to recall the events of the past few hours, days, or weeks that she had obviously missed. _/Hmmm... the last thing I remember was being blindfolded and then 'escorted' out of my cell... and then being led to another room. Then I felt... a needle jab my arm... and... and then... nothing... Oh God, what have they been doing to me? How much time have I lost?... Am I going to die here?/_ She shook her head violently to halt her frantic thoughts.

"Heero..." she cried out softly, tears lightly rolling down her cheeks, "I wish you were here... I need to borrow some of your strength once again... Oh, if those politicians could only see me now, crying like some _**damned**_ child... but isn't that what I am?... I'm _**still**_ a child who was too stubborn to listen to Heero… and now look at where I am! God, I haven't even turned _**eighteen **_yet... Please God... don't let me die without seeing those I love one more time... please..." She cried herself into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

In front of the colonial government building on L1 a massive crowd had gathered, composed of the media and general public; all there to hear a speech that was about to take place near the building's steps. They didn't know what it was about, but it seemed important enough if the conference that was to be held today was being rescheduled because of it. The members of the E.S.U.N. found themselves watching the event unfold itself from the confines of the conference room inside, their curiosity piqued. Silence swept the crowd as the figure of Lady Une walked up the platform to stand in front of the podium. She studied the crowd for a moment before proceeding onward.

"Citizens of the Earth and colonies," she began, "My name is Lady Une and I am here as the representative of the office of the Foreign Minister of the Earth Sphere Unified Nations. I know you are all curious as to why I have called for this press conference when another was to be held this morning. To be quite honest, you would have probably found out sooner or later after this day had passed, but I believe that this will make things less complicated. I hope that you can all stay calm for what I am about to tell you." She cleared her throat and waited until everyone's attention was focused on her, "Foreign Minister Darlian is nowhere to be found." She stopped when the wave of gasps and whispers grew too loud. Holding up a hand and giving a commanding stare she forced the crowd into silence once more.

"She disappeared a week ago," she continued, "since then we have searched without rest for any signs of her whereabouts. I know you're probably wondering why we didn't disclose such information earlier and for that I apologize. We were hoping to have found her before this conference took place in order to prevent hysteria and worry among you," her jaw clenched when she recounted the past week's lack of progress, "But it seems we have failed. However, I, along with the Earth Sphere Unified Nations, will exhaust all available resources necessary in order to find her. I hope that you understand why we took the actions we did," her voice lost its hard edge and softened slightly. "Since we cannot predict how long her absence will be for, we will have the Earth Sphere Unified Nation find a temporary replacement for her position," she stopped once more when the crowd erupted with questions once more and waited until the noise died down enough. "Before I end this conference I would like to make a request of the people of Earth and the colonies. I would like for you not to lose hope. Relena will be found, but until she is, please remain calm. I know that she would not want you to worry about her like this. Thank you."

As Lady Une left the podium the cameras started flashing and reporters began to hound her, badgering her on whether or not conflicts would directly result from this among many other irritating questions. Lady Une ignored them and made her way inside the building. The rest of the crowd soon dispersed minutes later except for a shadow loitering in a corner.

"Hope, huh?"

-to be continued-

* * *

I felt that having Lady Une inform the people of Relena's disappearance was the right way to go. When comparing the original chapter to this revised one, I definitely like the flow of this one much more.


	6. A New Enemy

Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, I don't own Gundam Wing, blah blah blah, I'm not making any money out of this blah blah blah *sigh*

Author's Note: Most notable change is the debriefing at Preventers' Headquarter and a reshuffling of events.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 5: A New Enemy

By: Vegie-kun

One and a half months later...

The Peacecraft mansion seemed plagued with a lingering air of hopelessness, despite their best efforts. In the office once belonging to Relena Darlian, Zechs Marquise and Lucrezia Noin were standing near the window, gazing out at the beauty of the former Sanc Kingdom. It was a sharp contrast to the darkness and rage that occupied their hearts.

"Today's Relena's birthday," came Zechs' bitter voice, so full of contempt, anger, and despair. The mood in the room was darkening by the minute.

"She's eighteen years old..." Noin's voice mirrored his turmoil completely. "I hope she knows that we're thinking of her... wherever she is..." Noin felt tears roll down her cheeks but she made no attempt to wipe them off. They were the only things telling her that this situation wasn't a horrible nightmare. _/Oh God, Relena... where are you? Are you still ali-NO! You __**are**__ alive! If we even acknowledge the possibility that you might be dead, then the enemy has already won. We can't allow them to take away our hope as well... Poor Zechs... he's spent so much of his life not being there for her and now he barely had the chance to make up for it before it was taken away from him again./_

"Any news from the pilots?" his question snapped her out of her brooding thoughts.

"Not much," she sighed. "They finished their re-training three weeks ago and their Gundams are 100% complete. They're currently taking part in guerrilla missions to locate and destroy OZ's bases. Of the ones they've already found and destroyed, all were fairly small. My guess is they were decoy bases set up only to divert our attention while the main bases are still left to accomplish their tasks." Noin finished and looked out the window again.

"This OZ is much smarter than before," Zechs mused. "They don't seem to be taking anything lightly but they still haven't shown themselves... Lu?"

"Yes?" she asked, eyes still fixated on the outside.

"... Please stay by my side... until this whole thing gets resolved I'm going to need your support more than ever." He turned his head to look at her, his face no longer full of contempt but of need... the need for comfort, answers, and reassurance.

"Of course, Zechs," Noin simple reply as she looked into his face and forced a smile.

* * *

Nine months later...

"Sir! The intruder's headed this way!" a soldier cried out as the lights went out. Suddenly a loud explosion was heard and felt, followed by the sound of the door being violently kicked open. What followed were the sounds of bodies dropping to the floor, one by one. The soldiers practically had no time to react before they were taken out.

Once the struggles ceased, light footsteps were heard walking towards the computer consoles in the room. The screen was turned on, its light illuminating a portion of the figure before it; a slender figure wearing a black flight suit, face obscured by a dark helmet. The figure popped in a disk, typed a few keys and the screen suddenly came alive as information scrolled down its face before going blank once more. As quickly as it made its way inside the room, the figure was out in a flash. The sound of more dropping bodies could be heard throughout the hall.

* * *

"Oi, Quatre! Can you hear me?" Duo's voice came over the static of their communication link.

"I can hear you, Duo, but the static is getting worse. We should cut all contact until we reach the bunker. Do you copy?" his voice called out through the disturbance.

"I hear ya," with that the communication link was disconnected. _/Man; I can't believe it was another decoy... Dammit! We're getting nowhere! *sigh* This is a fine time for OZ to actually develop a brain. Shitty bastards!... Oooo don't think you can hide from us forever. Once I find your main base then nothing's stopping Shinigami! Just you wait and see./_

They slowly walked off into the severe sandstorm, making sure the stay in close proximity so as not to lose sight of one another. After about half an hour into their journey they reached a spot that was located seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Slowly, Sandrock's hands reached down into the sand. A few seconds later it lifted up a large metal door that revealed an entrance. Quartre motioned for Duo to head in first; as Deathscythe made his inside Sandrock turned its head one last time at the surroundings before disappearing into the darkness that awaited them.

Inside the underground bunker the lights immediately turned on and the two Gundams walked over to a stationary platform near the back wall. As if resting themselves against the steel slab, their green eyes turned off and the cockpit doors flew open. With the help of the cable wires they soon lowered themselves onto the ground.

"I didn't think we'd ever be back here," the braided pilot mused, recalling the time they had retreated to this same area after Heero self-detonated his Gundam. Silence soon descended upon them as they made their way to another well-lighted room.

"So what were you trying to tell me back there?" Quatre's soft voice spoke up

"Huh? Oh yeah," Duo exclaimed as he remembered the transmission he received an hour ago. "Une contacted me. She said we had to report back to Preventer Headquarters in four days."

Quatre's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Four days? But why?" His face held a look of worry.

Duo shrugged, he hadn't a clue himself as to why they were being called back. "She just said we were gonna receive new information then."

A look of hope brightened Quatre's face. "I wonder if it's about Miss Relena."

"Maybe… or maybe they've finally found out where Heero disappeared to." Both their minds went back to the day their re-training ended, just two weeks after having arrived at the secret lab on L1. All the Gundams had been modified as a direct result of the limited resources. In addition to the downgraded armor, due to the prototypes' smaller exoskeleton frame the finished Gundams were also smaller compared to their originals Heavyarms was also left with just the single barrel beam Gatling gun that the prototype came with while Altron was left with only one Dragon Fang. These changes all contributed to improving the Gundams' speed and in order to adjust for that the controls had also been vastly improved to be more precise.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Once the training had ended, it was decided that all the pilots were to go back to Earth together. They had planned to leave that night but it was evident that Heelo had made plans of his own as he reeled himself into WingZERO and closed the cockpit entrance._

_"What the __**HELL**__ are you doing!?" Duo and Wufei were screaming at him through his com-link._

_"I'm carrying out my mission," came the familiar deadly and stoic voice. A threat soon followed, "Don't even try to find me because you won't. If need be __**I**__ will find __**you**__." Then he left with WingZERO._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Do you think that Heero might have found her?" the Arabian asked again. "I don't think the Earth Sphere Unified Nation can handle this any longer." He shook his head, exasperated, recalling the weeks that followed Une's announcement. "I mean one month after her disappearance and they were already at each other's throat, pointing fingers everywhere. And the replacement they got for her is… He's got no spine at all!" Contempt laced his usually sweet his voice.

"Oi, Quatre, just calm down. The guy is trying his best; considering how many people were taking advantage of this ordeal to get what they want. They would never have acted that way if it were Relena they were dealing with, that's for sure. Besides, the poor guy has got some pretty big shoes to fill."

* * *

"You're leaving again, Trowa?" Catherine's voice rang through the trailer occupied by the clown. The tall young man turned and walked up to the young woman with the star earrings and reddish-brown hair, and embraced her in a hug. Once again he had used the circus as his means of avoiding detection as he traveled from one base to the next. It had worked pretty well and he had been able to hide it from Catherine and the other circus members as far as he could tell. Although it pained him to do so because this meant getting everyone involved should they ever figure out what was really happening. Not to mention the fact that Catherine would kill him if she knew that he was piloting a Gundam again.

"I always come back, don't I?" he said softly, trying to change the dreary mood. He soon placed a hand on her head once he felt the tears coming through his costume. "I know you're strong, sis, and I'm sorry I had to break my promise again."

The tears slowly subsided and the young woman pulled out of the hug, her eyes sparkling with sadness and hope. "Find her for me too, okay?"

Trowa nodded and Catherine left the trailer leaving him to finish undressing out his costume and into his Preventer uniform. Once done, he stepped outside and walked into the forest not far off from the circus. The Gundam pilot soon made his way to a carrier truck with a massive tarp that hid his Heavyarms. He hopped into the driver's seat, adjusted the rear view mirror and started the ignition.

* * *

The carrier truck sped down the dirt road at a speed many would deem unsafe. As light from the sun hit the truck's windshield, it revealed unruly dark brown hair that obscured determined Prussian blue eyes. Heero was finally going back to meet the others. After having left the other pilots he had gone back to doing things his own way. Without the others around no one was there to stop him from doing whatever he wanted. He had reverted back into being the 'Perfect Soldier'. He had become even colder than before, not even giving a second thought to his actions before he executed them. He had destroyed so many bases in the past eight months that it had become automatic. Even when he destroyed things he no longer let out that psychotic laugh; it was a scary thing indeed.

He knew the bases he'd destroyed weren't the main ones but he didn't care. They seemed to satisfy a part of him, something he wasn't sure of… something akin to the need for vengeance. His mind had grown dark and desolate since the day he had lost her and every single time he failed to find her afterwards made it worse. This time; however, he had information the others needed to see immediately. It was probably the first time in a long time that his eyes showed any hint of emotion when he came upon this... something that seemed like hope.

* * *

"Wufei, did you get the call in to Wind and Fire?" Sally's voice distracted the already irate Chinese from his work.

"Of course I did, _**onna**_! I am not irresponsible!" he answered back obviously offended. "They should be arriving here today."

"Alright, alright, geez, I'm sorry. But you could do with a little loosening up, you know. You keep this up and one of these days those veins in forehead will pop." The older woman looked across to her partner and grinned as she saw him glare at her. _/I should __**really **__stop doing that to him... But it's so much fun... which is a good enough reason for me not to stop./_

"Po, Chang, come to the conference room on the third floor immediately," Lady Une commanded when she suddenly appeared in the doorway of their office. "Everyone has arrived."

"Everyone? Does that include Heero?" Sally questioned with hopeful eyes.

"Why not come see for yourselves." She turned on her heels and headed for the elevator followed by Sally and Wufei.

They were on the third floor in minutes and walking into the room they were greeted by Quatre who looked exhausted yet cheerful. Taking their seats they saw Trowa across from them, arms crossed over his chest. _/Wait a minute, where is everyone else? Hmph, never trust a woman with such things-/_

"Oi, Wufei!" The sound of that dreaded voice made Wufei turn his head ever so slowly back, hoping it was just his hearing. It wasn't. Duo walked in, arms full of small packages. It wasn't until he sat down and laid the items on the table that Wufei saw what they were. Seeing the Chinese man's expression the braided pilot flashed this trademark grin. "I just thought that I'd get a little snack for myself. The trip back here was a long one."

Wufei snorted and shook his head in mild disbelief. "Your stomach is as bottomless as the sea, Maxwell."

Duo batted his eyelashes at his fellow Gundam pilot. "I'll take that as a compliment, Wufie."

"Baka! I told you before, don't call me that!" Wufei fumed and made to get up when the conference room door opened up again.

"Miss Noin!" Quatre's greeting broke them out of the fight before they could get started. They turned their heads and saw the raven-haired woman followed by the familiar figure of Zechs Marquise. The moment the man walked in his passive expression changed to a dark scowl as he eyed something in the corner. Wufei took note of that and turned towards the corner he was looking at. Hidden in the shadows stood a figure with a barely visible thatch of dark brown hair, who he hadn't noticed since he'd come in. _/Man, Zechs has a sixth sense when it comes to Heero Yuy, just like his sister... must be a hereditary thing./_

"Please take a seat, all of you." Lady Une's voice resonated through the room. Everyone immediately began to shuffle around the office and eventually found seats. Within seconds the lights were suddenly turned off and a large screen became the only illumination in the room. "A week ago Heero contacted me saying he had acquired some information concerning OZ. He didn't tell me much afterwards, only to gather you all together while he looked further into it."

"Typical."

"Quiet, Zechs."

"Fine, Noin."

The screen's light was soon obscured by the figure of the Japanese pilot. Once he was standing in the middle he surveyed the room before beginning. "OZ is planning to launch a large scale attack soon."

"What!?" The announcement sent shockwaves through the conference room and Heero waited until they quieted down before resuming.

"I was headed towards Northern Spain a few days back when I intercepted a distress signal from a local naval base. They reported being attacked by some unidentified intruder. The intruder forced their way through and stole some vital information, including military codes and weapons data. Once they completed their objective they destroyed the base. I suspect that base isn't the only they've attacked thus far. I confirmed with Colonel Une earlier and it seems that four other military compounds were infiltrated though this was the first one to be destroyed. That is the reason why we didn't get wind of their actions earlier."

"All those codes and data would give OZ a definite advantage against any army," Noin contemplated with a worried expression.

"Which leads to the most obvious conclusion that they are planning to strike soon," Heero resumed, "That attack on that naval base in Northern Spain a week ago was their most recent."

"So what does this *crunch* exactly mean?"

"They made a mistake," Heero replied coldly. "OZ managed to infiltrate the first four facilities without incident; they disabled the surveillance system before the attack happened so I wasn't able to retrieve any footage from them. However they got careless with that naval base; they didn't take down the surveillance system before attacking. Most likely assuming that destroying the base would destroy all evidence of their intrusion."

"Why do you think they did that?" Wufei interrupted. "If they were so careful with the first four places I don't see why they wouldn't take the same measure of precaution with the last one."

Heero contemplated the question. "The only reason for being sloppy would be time. I assume they wanted to be in and out of there quickly. By the time I arrived at the base there were no signs of the OZ anywhere but I discovered that the cameras at the base send their surveillance videos directly to another computer located in the nearby city."

"Probably to ensure that the files can be recalled for later use even if the base were to be destroyed." Une surmised.

"Correct," Heero confirmed, "I managed to hack into that system and retrieved the security footage of what happened." He held up a disk and turned around to insert it into the computer console. Images filled the monitor and they were able to make out the figure clad in a black flight suit running through the corridors of the base.

"Shit!"

They stared in amazement as the figure took down three soldiers with ease, using the most minimal amount of energy required. The image then switched to show the figure throwing some explosives, then kicking a door open; everything it did was with precise efficiency. Nothing seemed wasted, it had a goal and it always got there by taking the quickest route possible.

*GASP*

A particular explosion set the corridor alight. Although it was only a quick glance they saw that the figure was... female.

* * *

*BOOM* *KABOOM* *BOOM* *CRASH*

The figure in the flight suite was standing with her back turned to the exploding building. She moved a hand up to press a button on her helmet. "Success," she said in a voice devoid of feeling. There was silence for a while before a voice answered back.

"Good job, Rei."

* * *

"Onna?!"

There was silence once more as they saw a group of soldiers surrounding the OZ agent. The soldiers were hesitating; obviously scared of what the enemy would do. Suddenly one of the men made a move on her. She jumped out of the way and elbowed him in the back, knocking him to the floor. Another quickly lunged at her but she let out a kick and sent the guy flying into the wall. Taking out her gun she shot three more soldiers though one managed to grab her from behind. As she pried him off, he pulled violently at her arm before slamming against another wall. The suited figure stood there afterwards, hand clutching her left shoulder.

"Oi, what's she doing?"

"Dislocated shoulder," Heero informed him.

"What's she doing now?" Duo asked again, seeing the figure ram herself into the wall repeatedly.

"Putting her shoulder back into place."

"Ugh, by herself?," A look of disgust graced Duo's face, "Oh man, I just had a flashback to the time you set your own broken bone. God… that was the most disturbing sight I'd ever witnessed. Seeing this doesn't make me feel any better."

The rest continued to watch intently as the figure succeeded before she ran off unperturbed, a few more explosions following her. Another scene taken from a camera just inside the building's entrance showed the enemy running out of the facility. The sound of clanging metal could then be heard followed by the noise of take-off boosters, then jet thrusters, and then static. Everyone in the room seemed stunned into silence.

"That sounded like a mobile suit," Trowa's voice broke through the quiet.

"Hmmm… by the sound of it, that suit seems capable of flight," Noin assessed. "If that's the case then it's most like an Aeries or Taurus, and possibly the flight pack equipped Leos." She brought her hand to her chin as she contemplated further. "There's also the possibility that they may have improved upon the Serpent's flight capabilities or even redesigned the Virgo II for manual operation. The other scenario would be that they've built a new breed of mobile suits…"

"That, I wasn't able to confirm," Heero interrupted, "All external cameras were taken out prior to the enemy's appearance. My guess is they destroyed them from a distance before going inside."

"I guess they really want to keep us guessing, huh?" Duo said thoughtfully.

"It doesn't matter," Heero said, eyes narrowing. "We can use this girl. We will intercept her at their next target and use her to get to their main base. Since her attacks went unnoticed for awhile now it is safe to assume that OZ wanted to distract us from her existence."

"While we attacked those decoy bases she made her move on those military facilities..." Quatre jumped in, realization having dawned on him.

"That confirms she was sent from one of their main bases," Heero continued in a dangerously monotone voice. "She will lead us to Relena." With that he walked towards the door and exited the room, leaving the others to contemplate this new turn of events. _/Relena... I'm coming for you./_

-to be continued-


	7. Codename: Rei

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is the legal property of Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, and Bandai Entertainment.

Author's Note: I dropped the Tamashii so she's just Rei now.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 6: Codename: Rei

By: Vegie-kun

"Captain Woolfsen, sir!"

"What is it, private?" a man of around fifty looked up at the unexpected intruder. His old but keen eyes sensed the boy's uneasiness. Thirty years in the military gave him an abundance of experience on how to handle such soldiers.

"We are ready to commence testing of the new homing missiles in ten minutes, sir!" the young man quickly replied and saluted. He was very young from the way he looked, maybe seventeen; average height, short brown hair and eyes, an ordinary guy who didn't stand out much from among the rest of the soldiers.

"Tell them I'll be there in a minute."

"Yes, sir!" The soldier saluted and left the room, eager to give the captain his privacy.

Once alone the older man rose from his seat and walked over to the large window in his office. Sighing, he stared out at the naval base that was located in the southern region of the United Kingdom. His tired green eyes fell upon the ships in the ports, the weapons on the buildings, and the people running back and forth through the night. _/OZ is back and soon they will attack... Our reasons for developing these new weapons are justified. We must be prepared! We have to be unless we want OZ ruling over us again... *sigh* I loathe to think of the lives that will be sacrificed this time around. Will we even stand a chance now, especially when we don't even have the Gundams to help us? I pray to God that this ends before too many lives are wasted./_ The old captain ran a hand through his gray beard, straightened up, then turned to leave the room.

*KABOOM* *CRASH*

"What the hell was that?!" The sudden explosion knocked the old man to the floor. He heard the frantic pounding of feet across the floor and distressed cries. "Private!" he yelled at a running soldier making him halt in his tracks. "What's going on? What was that explosion?"

"Sir! We're being attacked by an unknown enemy!"

"What the -?" Just then the lights went out while explosions continued to ravage the building. _/Why haven't the alarms gone off? Dammit! It's got to be OZ./_ "Private! Go to the main control room and tell them to prepare the beam cannons! It might be OZ!"

"Yes, sir!" The young man was off and running in the opposite direction but struggled to get past the others in the hall. The captain slowly got up and followed the private's path, still somewhat shaken by the explosion. Three shadows stood nearby silently watching as he did so, watching and waiting.

* * *

"Do you think this will work?" Noin asked as she stood in front of Lady Une's desk.

The woman waited before giving a reply. "I am positive that we will succeed. We have taken all the necessary precautions and we also have a backup plan should this one fail. The only thing we're unable to anticipate is the enemy's reaction to our plan. If we're not careful she may try to kill herself." Lady Une's voice remained steady as she got up and walked over to Noin. "You should also get ready; just in case something happens that we weren't prepared for. Wind is waiting for you down in the communications room. I think you should go there and wait with him."

Noin stood there for a moment longer reflecting on something that just came to mind. _/Lady Une is so much the mother figure now... I guess it's all thanks to Mariemaia. It's really hard to imagine that she was once a cold-blooded opportunist... Thank you for being there for us, Lady Une./ _"Yes ma'am," she replied playfully, leaving before she saw the warm smile that formed on the other woman's lips.

"Everything will be alright, Noin. Have faith." She stared at the closed door for a minute more before going back behind her desk.

* * *

"AH!"

"What the -?"

*Bang*

"Where did it go?"

"Oof"

"Somebody hel-"

"AAHHH!"

Screams were heard throughout the corridors inside the base as an unseen enemy took down the soldiers. Gunshots and dropping bodies accompanied the mysterious figure as she made her way through. Once the noise had died down, running footsteps were heard accompanied by an occasional explosion. A figure clad in a black flight suit suddenly zoomed past the fallen victims.

"Rei," a voice called to her through her helmet's com-link, "the control room is to the right at the end of the corridor. Don't bother downloading the information on the base. All we want is the data on the new homing missiles. Make sure you render the base completely inoperable."

"Acknowledged," came the cold and steady response as she reached the door and kicked it open with unimaginable force.

The room's occupant was taken completely by surprise. "Who the hell are y-?" the question was cut short as the man was knocked down with a blow to the head.

The other soldiers in the room immediately drew their guns and fired as the girl ducked and dropped to the floor, rolling out of the way. Every single shot missed, and the girl was up again and soon lunged for the nearest soldier. She knocked him out with the back of her hand and drew her gun, shooting at the rest of them. Her aim was deadly, needing only a bullet apiece to take each one of them out. The room was quiet once again and the girl stood there for a moment to survey the room before going over to the computer console. Removing a disk from a pocket on her suit she inserted it into the computer slot and proceeded to push a few keys. The screen was soon surrendering detailed information of its deepest secrets; within minutes it was done pouring its "heart" out to her. As the screen when blank she ejected the disk and slipped it back into her pocket. Satisfied, she ran out of the room, leaving behind an explosive gift.

Another shadow observed the girl as she ran down the corridor. "She's headed towards the Sector 2 area, I'm going to pursue her; be ready to move out," the shadow commanded over a communicator before it stalked off after her. _/I'm not going to let this chance slip by... No way in hell!/_

* * *

"Wufei," Sally's voice rang over the communication link in his Gundam's cockpit, "Heero has just informed me that the target is heading towards Sector 2 of the naval base. Don't do anything yet, just be ready in case Heero fails."

"Don't tell me what to do, _**onna**_. I know the task assigned to me," he snorted.

"Fine, just be careful. We're not sure if she has a mobile suit nearby or not. The radar we had set up didn't show anything but if it's like that last attack it should be there somewhere." Sally couldn't help but show concern for her partner despite his sharp tongue.

"Thanks... Sally. I'll keep that in mind," before she could answer back he shut off his communication to Preventers' Headquarter. _/C'mon, Yuy, I know you can do this. I don't want to have to use Nataku to stop a little girl./_

* * *

"Huff huff huff huff..." the girl's breathing resonated in her helmet as she ran towards the designated exit. She was soon in a large hanger-type room that almost empty save for a few planes. The exit and the sounds of her own footsteps were the only things on her mind until...

*click*

The sound registered like a loud explosion in her head and she quickly whirled around brandishing her own gun. Through the helmet's black visor she saw her opponent's figure, highlighted by the moon's glow streaming through the building's windows. It was a young man of about eighteen or nineteen years of age, around 180 cm tall, somewhat slender but with muscular build, dark unkempt hair, and clad in a green shirt, charcoal zippered vest and dark jeans. What got her attention were his eyes, made silver with the moon, set in an unnerving glare; she didn't flinch from it... She couldn't. She made no attempts to run or shoot he didn't leave her much room for either being only 4 meters away.

"Omae o korosu," he declared coldly to the enemy. "If you even think of escaping from me," Heero's voice would have sent chills down a snowman's spine, but the girl in front of him didn't even budge a millimeter. _/So this is OZ's new soldier. She's pretty good, but what does that matter now that we've got you cornered./ _"Drop your gun. I guarantee that you won't make it out of here alive otherwise." He waited a moment to give her the chance to surrender. When the girl refused to move he knew that one of them was going to die... "Fine then, but I won't kill a faceless opponent like this." The figure waited for a few moments and then carefully moved her right hand to grab at her black helmet, slowly taking it off... _/No.../_

Heero immediately lost his death glare; his expression flickered between confusion and denial, his mind on the verge of collapsing when he saw the waves of golden hair spill out of the helmet. It cascaded down her shoulder, falling all the way down to her butt. His eyes darted to the black helmet she held in the crook of her arm against her body. They moved up to her heart-shaped face. It was deathly pale, especially in the moonlight. Her lips were set in a thin line instead of the full smile that he had always remembered and cherished. His eyes finally if not slowly wandered up and fell upon hers.

_/Nothing./_ He saw nothing in her eyes... nothing. No emotion whatsoever could be seen in those silvery orbs and it sent chills down his spine. They showed none of the happiness, the grief, the anger, or the determination they once held and that tore him apart inside. _/This can't be her... It can't be! This person standing before me is nothing b-but... an empty shell... there's no life in her. It may look like her but it isn't… it's not her! I don't see Relena anywhere in that 'thing'... I don't see compassion, or purity, or the kind soul that she has always shown me... I see nothing... These eyes are void of any human emotion, and they're looking right at me./_ He would have been fine if hatred or even sick amusement was thrown his way but to his dismay they weren't.

"Relena..." was the only word he was able to muster through the raging storm of thoughts and questions in his head. Silence fell upon them and suddenly, much to his own surprise, he threw his gun down. It skidded right next to the young girl's feet. _/I can't do it. Even if this thing doesn't turn out to be her... I just can't do it... I can't take that chance... not with her... not again... not ever... Dammit what's wrong with me!?/_ He hung his head and dropped his hands to his sides in defeat and readied himself for the bullet he knew would inevitably pierce him.

"Heero, watch out!"

"Huh?" He heard Trowa's voice from behind him and turned around in horror as he saw Trowa fire at the girl. "NO!" Demonstrating his quick reflexes Heero jumped in the way of the bullet meant for the enemy. Without making a sound the bullet tore through his left shoulder, throwing him to the ground. His eyes connected with hers again as his head fell backwards; he saw something strange briefly pass over the girl's eyes before. _/There... there was something there.../_ Using the slight moment of confusion Trowa had caused she turned around and bolted for the exit. The last thing Heero saw was her hair whipping across her back before the pain reached him and Trowa was by his side.

As the girl neared the exit she saw two more figures running towards her and her mind quickly noted the new obstacles: one blonde male, 175 cm, slight build, Preventers uniform, and one brown-haired male, 180 cm, strong build, black leather jacket, and a meter long braid. They were both armed and ready so she decided not to make the first move, in case they the type to fire without hesitation. Reassessing her options she decided to switch tactics.

"Ojousan?!" the braided man shouted in surprise as the distance between them started to close. To his shock instead of attacking him she did a baseball slide between his legs, rolling to put further distance between them before standing on her feet once more and dashing for the hangar exit. With no other obstacles in her path she was soon close to attaining her freedom. Within a matter of seconds she was finally outside and her way.

*CRASH*

A giant metal foot appeared out of nowhere and stopped her dead in her tracks; her arms instinctively going up to cover her face. Peering through the openings of her arms she saw a beam weapon directed straight at her and realized that she'd miss her chance.

* * *

"I can't believe Yuy actually failed... it's not like him," Wufei commented to himself as he saw the girl's figure next to Altron's left foot. Turning on the outside com-link he began to address the enemy. "Surrender if you value your life, _**onna**_. There's nowhere for you to run, and trust me when I say that it'd be pointless for you to try... What the -?" he held his tongue when he saw the honey blonde hair blowing in the night wind. _/It couldn't be.../_ He watched, mesmerized as she slowly moved her hands and positioned them behind her head. Her eyes shot up to look at him and Wufei found himself staring at strangely blank eyes... red eyes.

"In the name of Nataku... what's happened to her?" he reestablished communications to the Preventer Headquarters. "Sally..."

"Yes, Wufei? I'm here," she answered her partner. "What's the situation on your side?"

He swallowed thickly, wondering how best to broach the situation. "We caught the enemy..."

"That's great! Do you have identification on her?"

"... It's Darlian... or at least I think it's her." He replied, still reeling from disbelief.

"What?!" She screamed, unsure if she had heard correctly. "What do you mean by that? Wufei?" She was also starting to lose her composure.

Wufei shook his head. "You have to see this for yourself... We'll bring her in soon." He switched off the link and stared back at the young woman below. _/Now I understand why Yuy failed.../_He soon noticed Duo and Quatre coming out of the hangar and making their way towards the girl with extreme caution. Trowa followed right behind supporting an injured and limp Heero whose left shoulder was bleeding. Most likely from a gunshot wound, Wufei thought. Duo and Quatre looked as if they were at a loss for words while Heero sported a blank expression on his face. Trowa, on the other hand, looked entirely composed with a gun pointed at their acquired target.

* * *

"Wind, Fire..." Sally began, calling their attention to her, "I just spoke with Wufei... They've captured the girl," she turned around to face her fellow Preventers and friends.

"And?!" Wind's voice was harsh and demanding, but who could blame him after all the things he'd gone through?

Sally couldn't face him; or rather she didn't want to be the one to face him with the news. She didn't think she'd be able to handle the look of despair and loss that she knew would befall him. "... It's Relena..." she finally replied, staring at the floor to hide from his glare.

"What?!" Came the expected cry of disbelief. "You must be joking," the look on his face made it clear that he didn't have time for such trivial things. When he didn't hear Sally respond he knew something was very wrong and what she had said may have been true. Not knowing what actions to take he just stood there like a lost child, unsure of the world around him. The only thing preventing him from total collapse was Noin's reassuring hand, squeezing his shoulder gently.

"They should be here in about an hour. We should prepare things for their arrival," Sally spoke up once more as she got out of her seat and headed towards the door.

* * *

"What's her status?" the commanding voice barked out. "She should have contacted us by now." Cold blue eyes narrowed at a computer screen.

"We don't know, sir," a soldier piped up from a nearby computer terminal, "She hasn't responded to any of our questions, and we're not picking up any noise from her helmet.'

"She turned off communications?!" he asked, clearly angered.

"No, sir, it's still on, she's just not responding," the soldier answered, trying to avoid the general's wrath.

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "I think that we may have another obstacle on our hands," he commented contemplatively.

"Sir, what should we do?" Came the tentative question from a nervous soldier.

"Wait. That's all that we can do... for now." He abruptly turned around and walked out of the room, the sound of a door sliding signaling his exit.

* * *

"Who are you?" Heero's rasped voice pierced the silence that permeated the atmosphere. The girl continued to ignore his question. She chose to just stand there with her hands behind her head; eyes staring emotionlessly at the space in front of her. "I'm going to ask you one more time; who are you!?" He gritted the question through his teeth, pain evident in his firm voice. Still, she did and said nothing.

*click*

"Trowa, what are you doing!?" Quatre looked on in surprise as the tall, stoic pilot raised his gun to point it at the girl's head.

"Answer," he said in a low, even voice as he continued to shoulder the injured WingZERO pilot.

"Rei," she finally answered in an emotionless voice that matched Trowa's own.

"Rei?" Duo and Quatre had been expecting her to confirm that she was Relena Darlian not a stranger they had no relations to. Heero and Trowa seemed unfazed as they continued to observe the girl.

"Rei... zero..." Heero's voice was barely audible against the night wind. _/Zero… zero what? Zero… as in beginning? Like a prototype? Or is it referring to an absence of something? An absence of recognition? Fear? Emotions?... Zero emotions… That's what I saw in her eyes... the lack of emotions... to the point where it seemed like she even lacked a soul... They couldn't have picked a better name. Dammit! What did they do to her!? How did they do this to her?... How?.../_

"Come on, we'd better get back to Preventer Headquarters. Sally and the others are waiting for us," Wufei called to them from Altron's cockpit. "I'll follow behind to make sure it's safe."

The others nodded and proceeded to lead the girl known as 'Rei' towards an aircraft hidden behind Wufei's Gundam. Quatre used a remote to open the craft's hatch; a platform unfolded itself from the entrance for them. Once on board, they led the girl to a cell near the cockpit; it had been built especially for this mission. Duo assigned himself the task of piloting the aircraft while Quatre took to tending Heero's gunshot wound. Trowa was left with the job of watching over the captive girl as she stood leaning against the cell's wall.

Her quietness and lack of movement made the pilots uneasy. They weren't sure how to break the steadily thickening silence between them. What does one say to the person that they had been searching for the past nine months? It was made even more difficult as she refused to acknowledge their presence. When Quatre finished dressing the wound on the Japanese pilot he moved to join Duo in the cockpit while Heero sat in front of the cell next to Trowa. Throughout the entire flight back to Preventer Headquarters his Prussian blue eyes never left the girl's strange ruby red ones, no matter how much it hurt him to look. _/No soul at all.../_

-to be continued-


	8. Bittersweet

Disclaimer: You know the drill... I don't own Gundam Wing; they belong to their respective companies. I own nothing and am making nothing from this.

Author's Note: The only changes made in this chapter were stylistic ones plus a more in-depth examination of Rei's abilities and training. Plus, I realized that there was some discrepancies with the seasons in the original one. Going by the timeline Relena was abducted late February, so by now it should be mid January.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 7: Bittersweet

By: Vegie-kun

"Zechs, stop pacing around like that, you're making all of us nervous," Sally huffed, getting more and more irritated at the blond man as they continued to wait outside in the cold winter night. The hour had come and gone yet the Gundam pilots still weren't there. Much of headquarters was abuzz with a mixture of excitement and trepidation when they were informed that a specially trained OZ soldier was being brought in. What they weren't told, however, was that the soldier may also be the missing Foreign Minister. Sally, Noin, Une, and Zechs all agreed that it would be best to withhold that piece of information for the time being. Taking extra precautionary measures they made sure that no other agents would be at the landing site when the plane arrived; ensuring that this secret would remain so. "Zechs, do I have to knock you out in order for you to stop pacing!?" she threatened dangerously, rubbing her gloved hands together in an attempt to ward off the chill.

"Sally, let him do what he wants," Noin placated though she herself was feeling quite irritated, "He's just very excited that's all."

"Everyone, hush!" Une ordered sternly, "I think I hear the plane coming around." Sure enough, they heard in the distance the unmistakable sounds of jet engines. As they turned their gaze to the night sky they were able to make out the blinking lights of the plane. Soon the roar of the jet engines deafened their ears as the plane landed several meters away. Altron followed suit and landed close by; the cockpit opening immediately as soon as it touched the ground. As Wufei reeled himself down the four Preventers ran to meet him before turning their attention to the plane when the hatch opened.

"Where is she?!"

"Zechs, calm down. They're coming out right now," as soon as Noin said that Duo and Quatre were out and walking towards them. Following right behind them they glimpsed a female form walking out with Trowa whose gun was still trained on her as Heero brought up the rear.

"Relena!" Zechs ran over to the girl and immediately wrapped his arms around her. "You have no idea how overjoyed I am to have you returned safely back to us. We've all been so worried about - huh?" he stopped when his little sister made no attempts to embrace him in turn, or rather she didn't move at all. He slowly eased his embrace and stared at her, confused. That was when he noticed her eyes. "W-What is this? What's happened to her?!"

"We don't know," Trowa replied calmly.

"She was like this when we caught her," Quatre informed them, "We were hoping Sally could take a look at her and figure out what's wrong," He hesitated with what he was going to say next. "Umm... she also said that her name was Rei... I uh... think that it's Japanese." All eyes suddenly turned to Heero as he walked up to them.

"Rei stands for zero," he answered, "I'm not sure of the significance of the name, but I think it either designates her as a prototype for something or that she's lacking something." Before saying anything more he turned to look at her enigmatic face. "I have a feeling it's the latter… Just take a good look at her eyes, and you'll understand." His voice was cold, but there was a certain degree of hatred that underlined it. Without another word he headed towards the vans parked nearby, he couldn't wait to get back to his apartment. Une had assigned each pilot a temporary apartment in the building adjacent to Preventer Headquarters and currently Heero sought its comfort and seclusion.

"We better get going as well," Une commanded, "Sally needs to perform a full check-up asap. There's no telling what OZ could've done to make her like this." With that they followed Heero's lead and in a matter of minutes they were headed towards headquarters.

* * *

In a large underground medical room within Preventer Headquarters Sally had Rei strapped to an examination table, much like the one Heero occupied when he was brought to the Alliance hospital. Her flight suit had been discarded and now hung on a rack next to the table, leaving her in nothing but a white tank top and gym shorts. To their surprise she hadn't put up much of a fight, due in no small part to the fact that Trowa and Wufei had their guns trained on her. Strapped down she'd turned her emotionless gaze to the restraints and tested them, giving no signs of whether she approved or disapproved. Afterwards she'd turned her head to concentrate on the ceiling above.

Because of the limited space the others were relegated to the adjoining room where they stood watching intently through the glass window. They watched as Sally took her temperature before turning to the machines whose wires were hooked up to the pilot's arms, legs, and body, monitoring her vital readings. Sally observed with relief the normalcy of her heart rate, breathing, and nerve connections. Upon further inspection she realized that the girl's reflexes were better than what the woman was used to seeing from her. Then she was reminded of something odd when she had taken her weight and height...

"Any progress?" Heero inquired as he came through the door and made his way over to the group in the adjoining room. He had changed into a white button shirt, having discarded his bloody green one into the laundry. The opened neckline of his shirt revealed his freshly bandaged shoulder.

They all turned their heads and acknowledged his presence as Quatre moved from the window to give him a view of the lab and its 'patient'. "Sally hasn't found anything yet; she's just checking on the status of her health," the Arabian pilot kindly explained when suddenly Sally's voice spoke to them through the intercom.

"Guys, I just went over Relena's height and weight data and... Well, it seems like she's gained about 6.5 kilos since we last saw her but her height and build hasn't changed much which means..."

"She's gone through a lot of muscle development." Heero finished for her. "No surprise considering the possibility that OZ has probably been training her for this type of work since the day they got a hold of her." _/Yeah, and it also looks very familiar. I'm not quite sure yet but this is very, very familiar... I see the way she looks me and it reminds me of something.../_

"But how would they have gotten her to do that?" came Noin's voice from the corner of the room. "Relena isn't someone who would just stand there and take those kinds of orders, especially from OZ. She would rather kill herself rather then help accomplish OZ's goals. It wouldn't make sense that she'd just go along with it."

"Hey!" Duo jumped in, "Maybe she's a clone. I mean they had her there for a while; they could've made a copy of her, like one of those test tube babies." Everyone glared at him with a look that said 'you've got to be kidding, right?'

"Then that is what she'd be right now, Duo, a baby." Sally spoke again from the intercom. "Test tube babies don't have rapid growth enhancement. Their growth rate is the same as everybody else's. I know for a fact that the Relena you're seeing is the real one because that's what the DNA scan is showing me... Heero's right on this one."

"Yeah, I guess, but then the question is," Duo interjected again, "what type of training have they been putting her through? I mean, considering the way she handled herself at those bases I wouldn't be surprised if she was able to pilot a Gundam."

"Maybe that's what she's been using to get to the bases," Heero's voice cut in as panicked eyes turned to his direction.

"But we didn't detect any signs of one there, and I certainly didn't see a Gundam, or any other mobile suit for that matter, there," Wufei informed him.

With a hand placed under his chin, Quatre's eyebrows furrowed as he stood there contemplating. "Maybe they knew we were coming and decided she should do the mission on foot." He thoughtfully put in.

"If that's the case," Zechs said as he went closer to the window, "then they would have anticipated or wanted her failure… which means that her being here is nothing but a trap. I know that OZ may seem careless now and again… but I don't think they would jeopardize losing one of their experiments for anything." To this everyone nodded their heads in agreement. _/Oh, Relena, I'm sorry this happened to you... I'll make OZ pay for this… and Heero as well for failing to protect you./_

"Hello, is there a Duo Maxwell there?" Everyone turned their heads to see the screen of the video phone mounted on the wall light up with the face of another Preventer agent.

"Yeah, I'm right here," Duo replied as he sauntered to the monitor. "What can I do for ya?"

"There's a Hilde Schbeiker on the other line; she wants to talk to you. She said that it's about an important client who's asking for special parts," the man informed him.

"Alright then, I'll take the call in my office; just let her know I'll be there in a few minutes." Turning back to his friends he gave them a smile. "I'll be back in a sec, just need to take care of some business." When he left the room became oddly quiet.

"Sally, what about the other tests you ran on her?" Wufei inquired, shattering the uncomfortable silence.

The doctor waited a moment as she went over the forms and charts on her clipboard. "I still don't know what's causing the strange eye discoloration so I'll set that aside for now…" She flipped a page and scanned its contents, "Her reflexes are extraordinary... They match up to Heero's and Trowa's in terms of reaction time... It also seems as if she's developed a high tolerance to pain. She didn't even react the slightest bit when I drew some blood from her...," another page was turned, "Oh my... they must have been training her really hard; she's got less than 10% body fat on her. It's almost unnatural for it to be that low for a girl... it seems as if they were aiming to create a killing machine…"

* * *

"Hi, babe," Duo greeted the German girl. "Great seeing ya again. Sorry I haven't been keepin' in touch as often as I should," He flashed his trademark grin. "So what did ya want to see me for?"

The moment it appeared on his boyish face, the girl couldn't help but stifle a giggle. "Baka. You forgot to tell me where you kept the labor suit's engine parts, the ones that Mr. Daniels ordered. The guy was going crazy 'cause they're now two days behind schedule."

"Oops," he replied innocently as he rubbed the back of his head, "Musta slipped my mind back there. Um, let's see... oh yeah! They're down in the basement under the scrap metal in the right corner next to the box full of motorcycle parts."

"Thanks, Duo, Mr. Daniels will be happy when I give him the stuff... um, by the way..." she began nervously.

"Hmmm?"

"Have you found Relena yet? I'm really worried that something bad might have happened to her." The German girl's face held nothing but concern.

He gave her an uncertain smile. "Don't worry," he reassured, "We found her... sort of."

"What do mean by that?" she asked, now bewildered.

"Well, I'm not really sure. I mean it's her but then it's not her." Seeing the confused look on his girlfriend's face he decided to elaborate. "She looks like her but then again she doesn't act like her. I don't know how else to describe it. Don't worry about it, Hilde. Just concentrate on the business, okay? We'll figure this out in no time."

"Okay, Duo... Oh, don't forget you have to come to L2 next week. The guys at the construction site won't make the deal unless you're present," she gave him a stern look.

A wide grin graced his boyish face. "Gotcha, I won't forget. Bye, babe." He turned off the videophone and headed back to the downstairs med lab. _/She's even cuter than I last remember... Oooo... I can't wait to go back into those loving arms. Can't wait to hug her and kiss her and pull all those jokes on her... hehehe./_

* * *

"Guys! I think I've found something." At the sound of Sally's urgent voice all ran towards the window of the med lab. Through the glass they saw Sally's hand turning the girl's head to the side. Her hair was pulled out of the way to reveal a small circular device, no bigger or thicker than a small coin, at the base of her skull. "I don't know why the scanners didn't pick this up earlier but there's also something else like it on both sides of her head." Sally moved the hair covering the girl's ear out of the way. They saw similar though triangular shaped devices above each ear.

"Do you think it's some kind of mind controlling device?" Quatre asked and received a shrug from the doctor.

"Well, then, should we remove it?"

Sally turned her head in the direction of her partner's voice. "No," she replied, shaking her. "There's no telling what will happen if we do. We can't risk it. For now, we have to leave them on and see what they do. I think I'm going to need Heero's help on this one; he might be able to figure the devices out," she heaved a heavy sigh. "I think we should call it a night, put her in her designated cell and begin again tomorrow morning." She turned to look at the others and saw that no one disagreed with her, not even Zechs. With the help of Wufei and Trowa they 'escorted' the girl through another door leading into a hall. At its end was an isolated cell, padded like the ones in a mental ward with a bed in the far back corner. The only thing separating the prisoner from the outside was a thick reinforced glass wall.

"Never thought I'd see 'Jousan locked up like this; Heero definitely, Wufei maybe, Trowa... eh, but never 'Jousan," the braided pilot commented as he rejoined the others. Wufei shot him a death glare and smiled to himself when Duo jumped to hide behind Quatre.

"We can't trust her to be here alone." All turned when they heard Lady Une speak. "I want Heero, Wufei, and Trowa to take shifts and watch over her during the night." She then noticed that Zechs was about to open his mouth to suggest that he be allowed to keep watch but she stopped him. "Sorry Wind, but you have a training exercise to oversee tomorrow. So who will take the first watch?"

"I'll go first," Heero spoke up in his familiar monotone voice.

"Then I'll take the second watch," the stoic pilot of Heavyarms piped up.

"I guess that means I'm last."

They all turned to leave Heero to his watch; Zechs throwing him a glare before Noin dragged him out. When they had all left to retire for the night, the Japanese pilot stood and leaned against the wall, staring at the girl directly in front of him who matched his stance. _/Why did I volunteer to take the first shift? It would have been easier if I had taken the second or third. At lease she might have been asleep by then... and I wouldn't have to stare at those eyes... ::But you always did like taking the hard road, Yuy, the easy path was never for you... never. You took the harsh path so that others wouldn't have to, others like her... but in the end... it was all for nothing, wasn't it?:: No... it was for something... it was for myself... If I hadn't taken the hard road then... then I would have never met her... Dammit! We got her back so why am I not happy about it?/_

Stealing a quick glance at the clock on the wall Heero saw that it was ten; he had three more hours before his shift was over. Trying to block the images of the girl from his head, he closed his eyes and began to mentally draw up battle plans, deciding on how he would make OZ suffer. _/Suffer a lot!/_ Yet, his thoughts concerning OZ was accompanied by those of Relena. He tried another tactic and began to occupy his time with thoughts of his Gundam, the Preventers, ways to shut Duo up, ways to torture OZ, but he kept on feeling the girl's gaze on him. He cautiously opened his eyes and met the girl's dead on. Oh, how it pained him to see those eyes! He recalled when they were a bluish-green hue and thought of how he could drown in those eyes, like he did when they were aboard Libra. But he was jerked back to reality when he realized they were blood red now. Crimson red, reminding him of all the killings, all the battles, all the pain... all the blood...

"Who are you?"

Snapping his head up in surprise, though his face remained impassive; he met her eyes once more. Not the comforting blue, but the mocking red set in that enigmatic face that ate away at him. Pain. He felt pain in his chest. _/She doesn't know you... You never existed in her life... ::But isn't that what you've always wanted?... For her to forget all about you?::... No... No! Dammit!... Oh Gods, the pain... Pain... T-this hurts even more than dying... much more.../_ Whatever thoughts raged in his head, they never reached the surface of his face; he was too well trained. _/::She is too, ya know::/_

"Heero Yuy," he replied as coldly as possible to mask his other emotions.

Then the silence enveloped them once again as the pilot of WingZERO kept his dutiful watch over her. For the remainder of his shift Rei never went to sleep or showed any signs of exhaustion. No. For the entire time she stared emotionlessly at the young man in front of her. She herself was unsure as to why she asked that question; simple as it was, why had she asked it? She stared intently at his hard blue eyes, hardly blinking and never wavering. _/Those eyes... death./_ In her mind, she wondered why those eyes haunted her, why they wouldn't leave her be. She studied his cold expression; it was almost like the one she had on. What she saw in them were hatred and pain. Pain… She remembered feeling something akin to that when she saw him fall after taking the bullet meant for her. She didn't know why that had happened; Whitenburg and the doctors told her she was incapable of feeling emotions and only capable of following orders.

"Heero, I'm here to relieve you," Trowa's voice broke through their respective thoughts.

"Hn," he answered as he pushed himself from the wall and proceeded to leave, but stopped to take one last glimpse back at the cell. To his surprise the girl was asleep on the bed, probably having done so the moment he turned his back on her. Anger and relief threatened to take hold of him but he quickly left.

The captive girl had been simultaneously relieved and disappointed when she heard that young man leave. Looking into her new guard's face she saw the same emotionless mask the previous had on, however, the eyes were different. They weren't full of pain; they were full of concern and compassion. That allowed her to go to sleep, knowing those Prussian blue eyes weren't there.

* * *

"So what is the point of this test again," Duo popped his head in between Sally and Quatre.

"We're just going to see how far her skills extend. We need to get an idea of what kind of training she's been going through," Sally explained - for the third time - to the chipper Deathscythe Hell pilot. The testing had begun at six that morning and most of the room's occupants were dead tired. The three who stood watch the previous night had been excused from having to be there, but Heero showed up regardless. So far everything had gone smoothly and 'Rei' was behaving herself, doing everything that Sally asked of her. She didn't know why but she felt comfortable with these people, with the exception of the one known as the pilot of Gundam WingZERO. The intensity in his eyes made her uneasy.

"Wow, she's pretty fast," Duo awed watching Rei as she ran on the treadmill, "Never thought 'Jousan could run like that. Of course, I'm faster though," he added with grin.

"Yeah, she's also got a lot of stamina and dexterity," Sally confirmed. "She's been running at this pace for an hour already and still has yet to show signs of exhaustion. I don't know whether I should be impressed with OZ or disgusted with them for turning a sweet kid into this."

"I know what ya mean," Duo sighed as he slumped next to the wall. "It's pretty scary if ya think about it. I mean, if they can turn _**Relena**_, Miss Peace and Love for All, into a cold-blooded soldier, just _**imagine**_ what they could do to _**us**_. God, she acts just like Heero. That's all we need right now another -"

"That's exactly it," Heero's quiet statement hushed the room and all heads turned to him.

"What's 'it', Heero?" Duo asked, curious about the Japanese's sudden statement.

"The training she's been through," he began indifferently, "it's similar to or maybe even the same one that I went through."

"WHAT?!" the other three shouted in surprise.

"The way she acted," he began again once the others had calmed down, "it reminded me of how I was told to conduct myself whenever I was sent on a mission. I wasn't sure at first so last night I went over the security videos to analyze her behavior and actions."

"Boy, you really know how to have fun, don't ya, Heero buddy?"

"Hn. When I was on L1, before Operation Meteor was set into motion, I was under Doctor J's guidance. In order to prepare me for the numerous types of scenarios that I would encounter he had me undergo countless different exercises." He raised his hand and began to tick off every skill Doctor J had drilled into him. "Aside from learning how to pilot a Gundam and operating all types of heavy machinery, he especially wanted me to be proficient in the use of firearms, close and long range weapons, hand to hand combat, military, government and mainframe hacking, espionage, English, physics, engineering, pain tolerance, wilderness survival, and assembly and diffusion of any type of explosive."

Duo shook his head in disbelief. "Well aren't you the Renaissance man."

Heero gave him a stern look. "After studying those videos, including the ones from last night, I noticed that every single decision she made during those raids were what I would have I would have done myself… I don't know how OZ was able to do it but they must have raided Doctor J's lab on L1 sometime during or after the war and found my old training logs."

Sally contemplated this new possibility. "If that were the case then how would we be able to confirm it?

"When I mentioned being trained in the assembly and diffusion of any type of explosive, many were unique to the training… So I made something to test out that theory." With that he reached into the bag he'd brought with him and fished out a small package. He walked over to the girl, now resting on a bench, and dropped the package into her hands. "Disarm it."

"Shit! It's a bomb!" Duo yelled as he frantically looked for cover.

"It's not real," the girl replied, instantly bringing Duo relief.

"Whew," he sighed. "Dammit, Heero! Don't do that to us! I nearly had a heart attack."

"Then disarm this one," Heero ordered again as he produced another package from inside his jacket. This time it was real and blinking very rapidly when he dropped it into the girl's hands.

"Dammit, Heero!"

"Done."

"Whew…" Duo sighed once more in relief before whirling on the Japanese. "Dammit, Heero!"

WingZERO's pilot gave the girl a steely glare before turning around to leave the room. "I'm going to contact Doctor J.

"Wait, Heero!" Sally called after him. "I would really appreciate it if you could stay and help me; your insight into her training will be very useful. You can contact Doctor J later." She smiled when he made his way back to the group. "We have to see if we can break through the barriers they set in her mind and maybe, just maybe undo all this."

"Hn," he nodded in acknowledgement, pulling up a chair to sit in.

"Now, Rei," Sally began as she sat in a chair in front of the girl, "we should try to get to know each other."

"Why?" Came the emotionless question.

"So that we can become friends," the doctor replied, giving her a warm smile.

The OZ pilot leveled them with a stony gaze. "Friends aren't needed on the battlefield, allies are." That statement sent a chill down Heero's spine as he recalled saying the exact same thing to her in the garden. "If you aren't my ally then you're my enemy." The girl's icy voice and intense gaze would have unsettled anyone else but it only served to make Heero angrier.

"Alright then," Sally spoke up again, "Let's get to work analyzing those things on her head."

"Hn."

-to be continued-


	9. Monster Reborn

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. They belong to Bandai, Sotsu, Sunrise, and any other company I forgot to mention. Please do not sue me.

Author's Note: In the first version I always felt that I didn't go into enough detail about Rei's time with the Preventers and what happened to her then so I tried to elaborate further on that as well as fleshing out her character more this time around.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 8: Monster Reborn

By: Vegie-kun

Back at OZ's base General Whitenburg was in one of his worst moods to date. It had been three days since his prized project had disappeared and no solution had been offered. He knew she had to have been captured, most likely by the Preventers, but he couldn't risk launching a retrieval mission. They couldn't spare a single mobile suit or soldier to do it; they no longer had the necessary supplies to replace them should they be destroyed. For some unknown reason their 'importing' plan had suddenly skidded to a halt six months ago. It had become impossible to contact their resources which meant that there would be no more materials coming in. Although they had already assembled an incredibly large army of mobile suits, they would have to use them sparingly since rumors of the Gundams were confirmed. He wasn't too worried about that development since he still held a trump card, but he needed her in order for it to work.

"Haven't you gotten a transmission to her yet?" he inquired in a low and even voice. He wasn't the kind of man to shout but his voice always held a dangerous underlining that proved to be far scarier. This kind of quiet and restrained anger was what frightened the soldiers around him.

"No, sir." A soldier quickly answered. "We've been able to receive faint signals from the unit's transmitter intermittently but they disappear completely at night. We think they're keeping her in a secured room at night to prevent her from escaping." The console operator swallowed visibly, unsure of how the general would take the news.

"I am well aware of that." He seethed dangerously, "I don't care how you do it, just figure out a way to send a transmission to her." His cold blue eyes dared the soldier to retort back.

The young man hesitated, eyes shifting left and right to avoid those of the general. "Well, sir… the thing is… since her signals are weak the signals we send her are also weak, too weak for her to acknowledge."

"I don't care," his tone made it clear that he was not satisfied with excuses. "We have to send her a transmission and tell her to get back here now. We can't proceed any further without her."

"We can send a message to the unit but that would mean we would have to use more power in order for the frequency to break through..." another operator spoke up nervously, "but it would still only guarantee us enough time for a very short message.".

"Why wasn't I told of this earlier?" the General spat out furiously, causing the hairs on the soldier's neck to stand on end.

The man waited, trying to summon all the courage he held in order to reply without faltering. "Well, sir, if we boost the power up too high we would risk damaging the circuits on the unit."

"If this were any other situation I wouldn't take the chance, but we have to get her back," General Whitenburg began slowly. "There's no telling how much they've already found out. Rei has the ability to break out of there, but she won't leave unless we order her to. So when you pick up the signal again, send the message that she is to complete her mission; that is all you need to say." With one last threatening glare the general left the room. _/I did not spend the last three years planning OZ's return to have it all shattered to pieces just because I couldn't get a key component back. OZ shall rise again and power will be in our hands once more... No longer will we have to submit ourselves to the naïve notions of a little girl or grovel before the Earth Sphere Unified Nation; we will once again hold the reins of the Earth and colonies just like before the Eve Wars. I will bring about a glorious new future and guide Earth and the colonies to their true destiny... I've worked too hard for this! Neither the Gundam pilots nor the Preventers will stand in my way!/_

The entire room was momentarily silent after Whitenburg left before a loud sigh of relief filled the space. "Geez, I don't know who I'd rather face in a battle, the Gundams or him."

"I know what ya mean."

* * *

The bone chilling rain was unrelenting as it continued to pour down in the area surrounding Preventer Headquarters. Dark gray clouds filled the sky as the sound of thunder and occasional the flash of lightning boomed through the air. No one in the neighboring residence was anywhere to be seen, having already taken refuge inside their homes when the rain had begun to fall.

Now and then a stray dog or cat would run across the streets, trying to seek shelter under a box or other sort of makeshift sanctuary. Cars zoomed along the streets, splashing water onto the sidewalks as they drove by. Through the curtains of water a lone silhouette could be seen fighting against the weather, walking as if the downpour around it didn't exist. Trudging along with a quiet determination and spellbinding silence, the silhouette suddenly halted. Looking up to the sky she let the water caress her pale face, blinking as water neared her deep red eyes. _/So soft... so gentle... so peaceful... so safe.../_

* * *

Earlier that morning...

Sally, Heero and Quatre were seated at three computer consoles overlooking the data they had collected over the past three days. Slowly but surely they were beginning to decipher the devices planted on Rei's head. They speculated that the devices were affecting her brain somehow, possibly blocking out the memories of her true identity. What they weren't sure of, however, was which one of the three was doing so and isolating them proved near impossible without removing them or hurting the girl. The possibility of all three working in accordance with each other seemed likely as well but they couldn't be sure.

Rei was currently in her cell; her presence at the lab momentarily unnecessary. Before Sally could continue on with further she had to first sort out the plethora of data they'd already amassed. Over the past few days Sally had tested the girl's physical prowess and mental fortitude to their limits. In the mornings she would have her spar with Wufei who was reluctant at first with the thoughts of having to fight a girl, but quickly dropped such pretenses when he realized she'd put up quite the challenge. That was followed up by drills designed to test her dexterity, strength and resourcefulness. In the afternoons she was placed in a flight simulator and put one battle scenario after another to assess her flying aptitude. That was usually accompanied by a few hours of light interrogation as they tried to glean from her OZ's objectives as well as their location.

In the evenings Sally allowed Zechs, Noin, and the other pilots to interact with her in an attempt to spark some recognition within the girl and break through the mental hold those devices had on her. Heero had declined participation in those activities choosing instead to keep to himself while the others talked to the girl. Rei herself said and did nothing during those visits, opting to stay quiet while the others conversed about things she obviously knew nothing about. They were the enemy, that she did not deny, but in the recesses of her mind something told her they would never hurt her, at least not intentionally. The only one she wasn't sure of was the young man with the intense gaze, though she'd often recall the time when he took that bullet for her; she knew she had to be especially wary of him.

"Heero, Quatre, come over here and take a look at these chemical readings," Sally gestured to them. They stood and walked over to her station in compliance as she moved to allow them a view of the information presented on the screen. "See here," she pointed to a few lines on the monitor, "these are the chemicals that are going through her body."

"Yeah. So what?" Heero asked, uninterested.

"Well, these were taken during the times when she was relaxed so you could consider them resting levels – normal, and if you take a look over at these other readings that were taken from Wufei during their sparing sessions," she said moving her finger a couple of lines down, "these are the kind one would get when they're in a fight for their life."

"So?"

She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. "Usually when one is in such a situation chemicals like epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine and vasopressin get released in the body. They try to compensate for the body's exhaustion by sending that person into a state of hyper arousal, increasing their speed, strength, and reflexes as well as rerouting energy needs to more imperative functions. Rel er... Rei's," she corrected herself when Heero gave her his patented death glare, "chemical levels during these training sessions are extremely high; high enough to send her into a blind rage. She shouldn't be able to discern her situation or even realize what's going on around her yet she remained incredibly calm. I mean these are the type of levels one would get when they're about to attempt a last act of desperation."

Heero digested the information, "So one of those devices is causing the amount of chemicals her body produces during a fight or mission to go to its limits in order to give her an advantage. At the same time one of the other two is keeping control over her higher level brain functions so she doesn't go berserk," he finished, summing up her thoughts.

"Uh huh. Those devices are sophisticated, but they're too small to do all that individually, they need to work in conjunction with each other to keep her in check... Hmm... At those levels anyone would go crazy and try to kill everything in sight," the doctor commented gravely. "And if you add the fact that she is now a trained assassin, you come out with one very serious problem."

"Would that explain her red eyes?" Quatre asked as he clicked a button to call forth a detailed mapping of Rei's right eye.

"Maybe... or maybe that problem is being caused by the third one," she let out a heavy sigh and opened up the most recent training video. It was starting to look like a routine session when something about the way Rei handled a gun caught her eye. "Hey, Heero, when Rei had a gun pointed at you back on that base in England, what hand was she using?"

Unsure of what she was trying to get at he recalled the incident. "Her left hand. Why?"

Sally's face turned grim. "She's right handed." Bringing up the rest of the videos from the week, she scrutinized each one and saw in every clip that Rei's dominant hand was her left. "… I honestly don't know what to make of this…"

"Wouldn't this already fall in line with our original hypothesis?" Quatre wondered, "That they've brainwashed her into thinking she's someone else."

"It does..." Sally hesitantly agreed, "But what I want to understand is 'why'? Why even bother doing something so trivial?"

The two mulled it over before Heero grasped at an answer. "A precautionary warning measure; they may have done it so that they'd have a telltale sign with which to distinguish between Relena and Rei."

Sally's eyes widened as hope dawned on her. "That means that whatever they did to her wasn't stable and she probably kept reverting back and forth… so we definitely have a chance of breaking through to her!" She beamed at Heero, a sparkle in her eyes, "We should get started on this again asap." She turned to blond pilot. "Quatre, can you go down and bring Rei here? We should get started on some new tests."

"Alright, Sally. I'll be right back.".

"Heero..." the woman called out as she concentrated on the computer monitor, "do you think today's the day we'll bring her back? Heero?"

"..."

_*FLASHBACK*_

_"So Heero, what have you found out thus far?" the old man said with a gleam in his eyes._

_Keeping his face stern and his eyes fixed on his mentor the young man began. "OZ has been training her for the type of missions that you've sent me on in the past," he stated, "and it seems that she is very capable of handling them."_

_ "Oh?" he queried, his interest rising._

_"Her training is very similar to mine." Heero's eyes became hard and his voice held a threatening note._

_"Indeed, you were right in assuming that OZ found the archives I'd recorded of your training," the old man answered in amusement._

_ "When?" His patience was wearing thin and his voice became deadly._

_"Remember when I and the other engineers were taken into OZ custody?" Doctor J started, "Well, it appears they also raided our labs. Most likely to try and find any information about the Gundams," he let out a sardonic laugh "I guess they found it alright... along with some other goodies."_

_"Hn." His eyes narrowed, and his glare could have burned a hole through solid steel._

_"I guess that means you've got some competition, eh, Heero?" the old man's amusement growing at the thought of his 'Perfect Soldier' going up against the once peace-minded Foreign Minister._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

* * *

The girl's face was always expressionless, a fact that didn't change with sleep. She looked like a corpse even as most people took on a serene and content appearance. She was glad she wouldn't be called upon until later, allowing her to get the extra hours of sleep she'd lost when that particular Gundam pilot kept watch over her. Those eyes were beginning to hound her in her usually dreamless slumber. There was just something so hauntingly familiar in those eyes; she would get a sense of both fear and safety whenever she looked into them. She'd never felt like that before, even when facing certain death. Shrugging off that thought she concentrated on getting some much needed rest. _/My mission is on hold until further notice. I can do nothing now but bide my time... But why do these people act so familiar around me? Like they know me?... It doesn't matter; let them act however they want. It is none of my concern... However, if they choose to get in my way, then I will have no other choice but to eliminate these obstacles./_

"Rei," the sound of the blond pilot's voice immediately woke her up from her thoughtful nap. "Dr. Sally Po wants to see you. You'll be running more tests again today."

The girl nodded, slid out of the bed and waited until the boy opened the door to her cell. She stepped outside and felt the familiar touch of the gun pointed at her back. Some of the pilots had protested that the use of guns was no longer necessary since it was obvious she wouldn't attempt anything. But Heero had argued against it so strongly they had no choice but to keep up the ritual. No matter what she did Heero never let himself trust the girl; she reminded him too much of himself.

"Did you sleep well today?" he asked, hoping to start a conversation. Realizing she had no interest with such things, he continued to himself. "I didn't get much sleep myself. Even though there's a wall separating our rooms, I can still hear Duo's snoring..." More silence followed as they made their way to the stairs. "Um... Did you know that it's raining today? Yeah, it's really pouring. Everybody's decided to stay here until it lets up a bit. Wufei wasn't too happy since he had to find another place to meditate..." Seeing that it was useless to continue any further he gave up the conversation.

When they were on the stairs the girl slowed down and stopped, turning her head to the left and right and finally up. Shaking off the feeling she continued until they reached the usual testing room. She wasn't supposed to let them find out anything about her; that was the direct order from General Whitenburg, however, she was to try and stay alive at all costs. The man didn't want her to die. Procedure dictated that in the event of capture she was to see the plausibility of escaping without incurring harm. If escape were deemed momentarily impossible then she'd have to put the mission on hold until they could get a transmission to her. _/Orders are to be followed without question./_

"Good morning, Rei," the doctor greeted her. "Did you enjoy your sleep?" Getting no response she led her over to the usual chair and gestured her to sit down. "Today, we're going to place these sensors on your body so we can monitor it in high stress situations."

"What kind of high stress situations?" Quatre asked suspiciously, the alarms in his head going off wildly.

"Well, I was thinking of a Battle Royale involving all the Gundam pilots," she answered with a wicked grin on her face. "So how about it, Rei? Think you can handle these guys?... Rei?"

Rei had an unusually intense look of concentration and pain on her face as she stared past Sally to the back wall. _/::Rei, complete assigned mission using tactic number three and return to base::... Acknowledged./_ Her gaze cleared and she turned to the doctor again, a slight smile creeping on her face. She had just been given the green light to escape, but the tactic they'd ordered her to use seemed somewhat questionable. Still, orders were orders... Then she experienced an intense but brief pain in her head. "Yes, Sally?" she replied shakily.

Everyone in the room stood up, their mouths ajar. A look of disbelief adorned their faces; it was as if they had just seen a ghost. "S-She... she talked back, and she called you Sally!" Quatre piped up as he continued to stare at her with wide eyes. "This is the first time she's ever called any one of us by our names... the first time she's talked to us without us having to force her to."

"Relena?" the doctor called out hesitantly.

"Yes?" the girl responded with a tired smile.

"How are you feeling? Do you remember anything about the past nine and a half months?" she questioned with hope in her voice. _/I don't know what just happened, but this could be the break we were waiting for. Maybe one of those things short-circuited, and she's gone back to being herself again./_

"Not really, Sally. The last thing I remembered was being in a dark cell and then... I'm... here? H-how did I get here and what do you _**mean**_ the past nine and a half months?" her voice laced with shock and fear. She looked frantically around the room and spotted Quatre and Heero. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?"

Quatre and Sally's faces brightened. She directed Heero to get the others and Quatre to relate the events that had happened so far while she got ready to prepare for another checkup.

Quatre began with everyone's welfare before letting her know of their present circumstances. He empathized with her when she stared at him confused when he broached the topic of Rei and she looked on horrified when Quatre made mention of her raids on those military bases. Though it may have seemed heartless to inform her of such things her first time back from mental captivity; he felt it better she heard from him. "Did I succeed in that last mission?" she asked, head hung low and visibly shaken.

"No, you didn't. We were able to stop you before you got back to OZ with the disk." Quatre softly replied as he laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Disk? Where is it now?"

"In there," he answered, pointing to a computer across the room. "Heero was taking a look at it earlier."

She suddenly got up and slowly walked to the console, lightly tracing her fingers over the keyboard. Pushing a button, she ejected the disk and began observing it. "So this is it? This is what I went so far as to killing people for?" her voice was somber but curious.

"Yeah," the Arabian said, nodding his head as he made his way to the girl. Her innocent curiosity made him smile, reminding him of the children back on L4. He beamed when she looked at him and smiled. _/She's really back. I'm so glad that it happened before we had to do something drastic-/_ There was a sharp pain in his neck and his world turned black as he fell to the floor.

There was the briefest moment of sadness when she glanced down at him but it was quickly replaced with the familiar cold mask as she silently made her way to the doctor. The girl was swift and quiet and Sally fell without realizing what had just taken place. The girl's red eyes wandered around the room until they finally fell upon her black flight suit. Knowing she had little time she briskly suited up and placed the disk back into its pocket. She surveyed the room once again, looking for a means of escape, knowing she couldn't leave through the front door. _/... Air ducts./_

* * *

Letting the rain fall on her face, she continued to stare unconcernedly at the sky for several minutes before facing forward once more. In an instant she burst into a sprint to close the distance between her and the small local airport down the road. Soon she was at the wired gates and quickly scaling them with the kind of physical skill and ease one would never associate with the Foreign Minister. Being careful of the barbed wires she flipped over the top and was on the other side of the barrier in mere seconds. As she surveyed the grounds it was clear that the airport was currently not in use, making her task just that much easier. Spotting the nearest hanger, she took off into another sprint in that direction.

In a matter of moments the girl was at the building's huge doors. Not sparing another moment, she shot off the lock with the gun she'd confiscated from Quatre earlier and was soon inside and out of the rain. Her eyes darted around the room scanning it for a suitable vehicle to use for her escape. After a while she settled her gaze on a small personal plane; the larger carriers also housed within the hanger would draw too much attention. Once inside she checked the gauges and fuel, nodding to herself when she was satisfied with the plane's condition. Searching the cockpit she found the button for the hanger doors. Pressing it, she waited for the doors to fully open and soon the sound of the plane's engines filled the room and the aircraft was making its way out and into the sky.

The duration of the flight was uneventful though she couldn't help but feel a slight pain in the back of her mind. It made her question the things she had done earlier that morning. _/Guilt?/_ She shook her head 'no'; she knew she couldn't feel those things. Her thoughts went to the tests those people had done on her and wondered if they were the cause for it. She recalled them, trying to figure out if any one of them could have had this effect on her. When nothing came to mind she quickly shook off those thoughts and once more concentrated back to the mission at hand.

After flying for less than an hour she looked out the cockpit's window and observed the surrounding area. She spotted the naval base in the distance; aside from the areas she'd blown up, it looked as if things had returned to normal. With that in mind, she kept her distance; she couldn't risk getting too close, especially if they were fully operational. Staying just far enough away, she landed in a clearing near a forest around the base. Her mind went back to the transmission that told her to complete the mission; problem was she no longer had any explosives since those damned people took them all away. Realizing she would have to use her backup she headed into the forest.

Making her way past thick snow covered shrubbery and tall pines she followed the path she had etched into mind days earlier. The mission was a simple one but instincts told her that things wouldn't turn out the way she'd wanted so she had no choice but to take precautionary measures. Ducking under a low branch she was soon standing near a large pile of leaves and branches. Reaching under the pile the girl pulled out a large jamming device. She turned it off then placed her hand on the pile of snow blanketed foliage. With a quick tug the shrubbery came tumbling down in a cascade of green and white.

The object underneath was a Gundam sitting down with its back against a cluster of trees, one that frighteningly resembled the Epyon. It was the same blood red color but the frame was smaller, more slender than its predecessor. This allowed the machine more agility, maneuverability, and speed, not that the one before it was lacking any. The curves were smoother and the overall design more streamlined but it was unmistakably still Epyon. Sprawled across the ground was the familiar heat rod attached to its shield. Looking higher one could see the same old wings, though now there were four instead of two. Higher yet was the same devil-like face the girl was strangely drawn to. _/Home?/_

* * *

Eight months ago...

A girl of eighteen with honey blonde hair stood quietly in front of the general's desk while a man standing next to her yelled at him.

"Sir, please reconsider this!" the young man with reddish blonde hair and light brown eyes pleaded. "I should be the one piloting the Neo Epyon not her. I'm the best pilot here! She's not even capable of piloting a standard Leo much less a Gundam." He pointed a derisive finger at her. "This girl is way too weak to handle the controls and g-forces of flight."

"Captain Dereks," General Whitenburg began in a cold voice, "you forget this Gundam contains the exact same ZERO system as the original. To my knowledge no ordinary OZ soldier has been able to master it; the only two people who've done so are Zechs Merquise and the Gundam pilot known as Heero Yuy."

"I know that, sir, but they were exceptional pilots with amazing physical capabilities. I'm pretty sure I can do just as well if I were given that kind of special training," Dereks reasoned hopefully.

"You're not listening, Captain Dereks," the general seethed impatiently. "The other Gundam pilots had a shot at that system as well but they weren't able to master it despite their piloting skills. To be able to master that thing they needed something more than just physical strength. We believe that in order to control the ZERO system one needs a strong mind that can truly focus without faltering. Those two had an unbreakable sense of determination because they were both fighting for something that obviously meant more to them than their very own lives. That is what's needed to master such a thing, a strong will and determined mind."

The general waited until the younger man absorbed the information before continuing again. "Miss Darlian over here has both of those. You see the way she fights to maintain this lofty peace, always focused on her goals and never bowing down to demands from others even at the cost of her own life." He noticed the man about to speak again but quickly cut him off, "I know you may think it's because of the Seele units we implanted on her but you're wrong. When we developed the units a year ago we tested them on several soldiers and had them go through the ZERO system. The ZERO system proved too powerful and overrode the units' command and they went berserk."

"What?" That confession had shocked him.

"The Seele units only go so far as to control the subject's mind during a field operation. However, the ZERO system disables the unit that keeps the soldier calm during the intense adrenalin rush. It only does that when the system is in use but because of that they go even crazier when it mixes the ZERO system's mind warping effects with the increased chemical production," he paused letting the captain digest the information. "Miss Darlian here has the kind of mind we need, one that is focused and dedicated, totally unwavering. Not one soldier here in OZ has that, not even you."

"But, dammit... she's still too weak to handle it," he retorted; a last act of desperation.

"The body can be trained to become strong in a matter of months but the mind may take years. Right now we don't have that."

* * *

Climbing her way up the metallic monster Rei was soon in front of the cockpit. Pressing a button located nearby, the entrance opened and she jumped inside. Strapping herself in she closed the cockpit's door and activated the Gundam. Its eyes glowed green as it awakened from the four day slumber and proceeded to get to up. Inside the small compartment the screens lit up and the humming of the engines could be heard. The girl closed her eyes momentarily, getting used to the feel before she made her way to the naval base.

Moving the Gundam's arm up, she reached for something located on its back. She soon held a sword in her hands, not the familiar beam sword but a solid one. It was the length of a regular beam sword but was made of finely tempered Gundanium, much like Sandrock's Heat Shotels. The blade had a small two-inch gap that ran through the middle from the hilt to the tip; a very beautiful, double-edged weapon. The Neo Epyon looked like a dark knight coming to destroy a village, which really wasn't far from the truth.

As the demonic machine landed near the base its grip on the sword tightened and the weapon began to hum and vibrate, emitting a strange reddish glow. Unleashing a swift slash the blade sliced through the main building like soft butter, causing explosions to erupt. Turning to the adjacent building it whipped the heat rod around and destroyed the laser cannons positioned on the roof. It quickly demolished the naval base within minutes before transforming into its flight mode. It flew away leaving behind the smoldering rubble without a second thought.

-to be continued-


	10. Three Steps Back

Disclaimer: Me no own Gundam Wing. Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sotsu, Sunrise, etc.

Author's Note: This chapter really didn't have much done to it. I guess that means that by this point I was already getting a feel for my style. Any changes were strictly stylistic ones.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 9: Three Steps Back

By: Vegie-kun

"You let her escape!" Zechs' raging voice filled the conference room. He'd just arrived at Preventer Headquarters expecting to see his sister back to normal, memory and all, yet was met with a report that she had broken out. His morning had not been good, having been informed by Une that many nations were now considering choosing sides; either that of the E.S.U.N. or OZ. Although just rumors, this was not what he wanted to hear right now.

"Wind, can you please refrain from shouting. I still have a headache from that blow _**your**_ sister gave me," Sally calmly chided as she felt the back of her head for bumps. "We didn't know that she was acting… I mean she was really convincing, and she probably would've fooled you as well." She sighed deeply and leaned back into the seat of her chair.

Zechs was about to say something more, but Noin jumped in before he had the chance. "She's gone and there's nothing we can do at the moment so we have to put her on hold," Hew voice of reason reached everyone's ear. "Right now the bigger problem is OZ and the possibility that they might launch a full scale attack at any moment." She turned to look at Zechs and saw his shocked express; she knew right away what he was thinking. She'd been around him long enough to tell what his thoughts were, even before he knew himself. "Zechs, I care about Relena too, but think," she tried to reason with him, "OZ isn't going to harm her. If she were some special soldier of theirs they would want her alive and safe. We'll find her eventually, probably a whole lot faster if we get rid of OZ first."

"I agree with Noin," all eyes turned to Sally. "From what we've found so far it's obvious they put a lot of time and money into her so they won't want to risk anything happening to her just yet. In fact, I think they need her before they can even start to attack."

"Why would you say that?" Lady Une asked from her position at the head of the table.

"Well," she closed her eyes to focus on what she wanted to say, "When Relena was here they could have started their assault at any time considering how we were distracted with her but instead they did nothing. And during that time OZ hasn't attacked any other bases."

"Hmmm..." Quatre started with a worried look, "I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about what's still to come... a really bad feeling."

"What do you mean, Quatre?" Duo asked from across the table.

"Do you remember the time when we were discussing if she could pilot a Gundam?" he paused to see Duo's reaction and continued when the other boy nodded his head. "Well, something tells me that we're going to find the answer to that real soon."

"You don't think they really have the capability to build one do you?" Duo asked skeptically.

"They've done it before," came Zechs' cold and indifferent reply, "what's to stop them from making another one now?" His mind pictured the Epyon, and he recalled the feeling he had while piloting that evil machine. He remembered the ZERO system, both the one on WingZERO and the Epyon, and how they had manipulated his mind before he could finally control the thing. It made him queasy, thinking of his sister piloting something like that.

"Has anyone noticed that Heero's not here?" Wufei spoke up suddenly, realizing he hadn't heard any grunts or felt any death glares in the last twenty minutes they'd been in the room.

"Yeah..." Duo chimed in, "and Trowa's not here either," His eyes wandered around the room. "Wonder where they went…"

* * *

"Heero," Trowa's voice rang over the carrier's communication link, "are you sure you can handle it on your own?" His voice was calm, but Heero could detect the note of worry. Doctor J had contacted Heero a short while ago telling him that an OZ mobile suit was attacking that same naval base. It was the perfect time for him to intercept it, capture its pilot, and get the information they needed. Heero, however, was on a mission of his own and couldn't spare the time to go to the base but and surprisingly admitted to needing Trowa to cover for him.

"Yeah," he replied and switched the other pilot off. Trowa would be headed towards the naval base in the southern United Kingdom while Heero sought out his prey. The Japanese pilot usually didn't disclose any kind of information voluntarily; however, he trusted the quiet Heavyarms pilot. He was the one most likely to keep a secret. Heero was always amazed at how similar the two of them were; understanding each other without needing words. His skill at blending into his surroundings was another point of admiration, something Heero never really got the hang of. Of course, he respected the others as well, but he'd never admit that to their faces. They'd just get cocky and think his walls were breaking down and try to get him to be social. Of course the word is _**try**_; like he'd actually let any of them break him. _/Not even her./_

During his flight he pictured those red eyes staring at him with as much emotion as an unpainted mask. Every time he'd looked into those crimson pools he'd always seem to get angry, frustrated, depressed, sad, and confused. That was one too many emotions that didn't need to be there, especially all at once. Even if he didn't understand the other feelings, he at least knew why he was angry, or more appropriately _**who**_ he was angry at: himself._ /Shit! Everything that's happened so far is my fault. I failed my mission and now everyone is suffering... myself included... I guess being haunted by those red eyes is apt punishment. Those eyes... they do so well to remind me of my failures... the deaths I've caused... my death... the possibility of her death... they do nothing but mock me... they're indifferent to me... They don't even realize who I am... She doesn't know who I am... What I mean to her... Did I even mean anything to her? Of course I did! I always saw it in her eyes. But dammit, I can't see anything in them anymore.../_

He shook his head trying to dispel the distracting thoughts and feelings. Why should he bother with such things anyways, it wasn't like he cared. He had the opportunity to end everything now and then everything will be as it should. He would be able to go back to the shadows where he belonged, out of the hearts and minds of others. _/Her heart, her mind/_Shaking his head once more he concentrated on the image on the computer screen and a dark grin spread across his stoic face. Increasing the carrier's jet engines he soared through the sky.

* * *

"Sir! Good news!" the soldier at a console shouted, "It seems like Rei got our transmission. She's heading back to base and will be here in about half an hour." The console operator was finally able to deliver some good news to the general who had just walked in.

"How is she?" the General asked as he walked closer to the monitors. "Patch me directly to her."

"Yes, sir!" another soldier promptly obeyed as he pushed a few keys.

"Rei?" His tone was softer than the one he had used with the soldiers in the room but its commanding quality was still present.

"Present," the pilot responded as her image appeared on the monitor's screen. Her long, honey blonde hair was still wet, sticking to parts of her face, slightly flushed from the cold rain and the early morning exercise.

"Are you injured?" He leaned closer to the monitor to examine her face. There wasn't much concern in his voice or eyes but that was how the man usually was. If someone had just been run over by a car he would've shown the exact same amount of worry and concern.

"Negative," she replied, the emotionless voice was barely audible above the noise of the engines.

"Did they discover anything that I should be worried about?" He needed to know if they had tampered with the Seele units in any way. Time was short and he couldn't afford to plant another one of those things on her head or retrain her for that matter.

"Negative."

"Do you have the data on the homing missiles?" his eyes narrowed as he waited for the answer.

"Affirmative."

"Good job, Rei." He turned off the monitor and headed towards the door. The huge metal barrier slid open but he waited a few seconds before exiting. _/There's something different about her. Her face is the same but her eyes betray her... What happened to her back there?... Did they do something to her?... I'd better let the doctors check her over when she gets back. I can't afford any mistakes; not at this point of the game./_

* * *

In a laboratory in an undisclosed location, lights from panels and monitors illuminated the room while the sound of keyboard keys clicked away in a corner. It blended with the slight humming of generators in the background and the muffled sounds of the latest news report on the T.V. The place would almost seem abandoned if it weren't for the soft sound of footsteps. One of the monitors suddenly blinked and the image of Trowa appeared.

"Trowa?" Doktor S questioned as he turned on the lights. The whole room filled with the artificial brightness and the figures of the other scientists came into view. Doctor J was typing up some sort of program on a computer in the corner with Inspector H looking over his shoulder. On the other side of the lab was Master O bent over a steel table with a piece of scrap metal in one hand and a welding gun in the other. The door to the lab slid open and Professor G stepped in.

"Who is it?" he asked as he moved towards his comrades who were now facing the monitor.

"The naval base in the southern United Kingdom has been completely destroyed." Trowa got straight to point, not wasting time with words of greetings or acknowledgements.

"How did you know?" Doctor J exclaimed, surprise lacing his voice. "I thought I sent Heero to intercept the target there,"

"Heero had his own mission," the Heavyarms pilot replied with little emotion.

"I see," the old man said as his clawed hand clicked open and shut.

"Was the enemy there?" Professor G asked, leaning towards the screen, his one visible eye staring at the young pilot through the slit in his hair.

"Negative. The base was destroyed when I arrived, and I detected no one," he reported.

"Alright." the mushroom haired man said. "That'll be all for now. You can go." After giving a slight nod Trowa's image disappeared. He turned back to the others and moved his gaze to each one of them to get their take on things.

"Could it be that girl?" Master O inquired his work still in hand.

"It's very likely since she did escape, however, I'm more worried about what type of mobile suit she's piloting. Speaking of which... where did that weapon of yours head off to?" he asked looking in Doctor J's direction.

"Knowing Heero, he's probably found an OZ base or something else just as interesting to destroy," he mused lightly giving a soft chuckle.

"Well, anyways," Inspector H continued, "it seems as if the situation has changed once again."

"Yes, but how are we going to handle it?" Doktor S piped up as he leaned against the computer. "If she has a suit then it will be inevitable that she will engage the others in battle."

"If that happens we won't be able to guarantee Miss Darlian's safety or the safety of our pilots for that matter. I guess the only thing we can do is try and make sure it doesn't come to the point where we have to kill her," Doctor J concluded turning serious.

"OZ knew what they were doing when they chose Darlian as their new soldier," Professor G sneered while drawing up a chair to sit on. "If she dies in battle there's the possibility that she'll become a martyr and you can bet the entire world will blame the Gundam pilots and probably the colonies as well. Then..."

"We'll have another war on our hands... or worse," Master O finished. "But if we don't stop her, she'll help OZ succeed in their plans."

The room became quiet as the five men began to brood on their thoughts. They had to find a way to get Darlian out of OZ's hands for good so the Gundam pilots could begin their assault. However, that task was easier said than done considering they didn't even know where OZ's main base was situated. The fact that the public had still not been made privy to OZ's resurrection was the only point of comfort they held. Oh sure, there were lots of rumors surrounding the attacks on the bases but nothing had been confirmed because it was only a lone mobile suit that had carried out the attacks. They knew that when OZ did decide to reveal itself the whole world would reel from the shock of it. From the data they had gathered thus far, OZ had an unmatched army of mobile suits that would be more than enough to overwhelm the Gundams. Everything they had done was done in secret and even though WingZERO's pilot had shed light on the matter they still didn't know how many they were to face.

"What if we can get a hold of those devices on her head; like a sample or spare?" Doktor S broke the contemplative silence. "Then we would have something and we'd be able to figure out just how they work and hopefully deactivate them on her."

"How are we going to get our hands on them anyways?" Professor G interrupted. "Hmmm... Why don't we have your boy go and see if he can get his hands on one of them? He's more than capable of infiltrating their base once he finds their location."

"I'm afraid that Heero has turned off his communication link and won't turn it back on until he's finished with whatever mission he assigned himself. I've already tried all his frequencies," the robotic armed man answered.

"I guess we wait then," was Master O's response as he walked back to his table to finish whatever he was working on.

* * *

WingZERO raced through the sky in a blur of colors as morning turned to afternoon. Heero had abandoned his carrier a while ago; having lacked the necessary amount of fuel to take him all the way. He didn't care though; he would've had to abandon it eventually and doing so now would save him the trouble once he caught up to _**her**_. _/Rei./_ His grip on the control handles tightened as an image of her face appeared in his mind; her red eyes blazing in her pale face accompanied by a smirk that seemed to challenge him... taunt him. _/Just keep on going. You can't hide from me. I will find you then make you give her back.../_ Without realizing it he had caused WingZERO to speed up more than he'd wanted, his rage blinding him. Fighting to keep control of his actions he slowly released his grip. He couldn't risk getting too close without being picked up by her radar or anything else that was out there.

His gaze shifted back to the radar on his left and raised his brows, slightly surprised. He recognized the area the girl was headed towards, having flown over the place in one of his past missions. The boy's brain raced quickly over the possible courses of action he should now take. After going over every single one of them he finally decided on the one that seemed to have the best percentage of success. Instead of intercepting and engaging the target like he'd originally planned, he would now try to beat it to its destination and hide. It was possible the area could be the base's location. Mentally confirming his plans he let out a small sigh before steering WingZERO into another direction and blasting off at full speed.

_/I can make it. If I can just push WingZERO a bit more I can make it. This is an opportunity I can't waste, something I can't afford to lose... But what if something goes wrong?... What if I'm not fast enough, and I end up getting there just when she does?... What if we end up fighting? Can I fight her?... Yes, I can... It's not really her... It's not really Relena./_ He didn't want to think about the possibility of fighting her… of killing her, but it kept popping back up in his mind. Although he knew he could do it, he had never able to and probably couldn't bring himself to do so now. But even as much as it hurt him to think so, deep down he knew that if OZ was winning because of her - if they couldn't bring her back, then she'd have to die. Heero had already planned everything out, ignoring the pain that arose in his chest when he did so. He'd be the one to kill her if the situation turned for the worse. No one else would be allowed that responsibility. No one else would have to have that kind of guilt on his or her soul. It would be easier for them to blame him instead of having them blame themself. He owed those people something for everything they had done for him.

_/How many times does that make it now?/_ He thought bitterly, trying to remember how many times he had threatened or tried to kill her. The Japanese pilot tried to shake off those thoughts but kept on slipping back to the subject of her death. Death. The one thing that always seemed to cling to him no matter where he went or what he did. Though most of the time he could easily shut out those feelings since the majority of the people he killed deserved it; every single one of them. _/::But what about that little girl?::/_ Heero's heart sank at the very thought of that girl. _/::So sweet, so innocent, so caring, more worried about you than herself... just like her::... NO!/_ He shook those thoughts free once more, knowing he had to harden himself for the task of killing Rei if that was what he had to do. This wouldn't be like the other incidents. He would be successful this time around; there'd be no walking away. _/As long as I don't have to look at those eyes./_ Instead of shooting her in a face off, he would kill her during a mobile suit battle, that way he wouldn't falter if their gaze came across one another.

"Ryoukai," his affirmation was hard set.

He hadn't noticed it before but he was already nearing his destination. It was an area near the exact point where he had self-detonated Wing. The thoughts haunting him came to a halt as he slowed WingZERO down, landing in a snowy wonderland that was once a lush evergreen forest. Setting the Gundam down in a comfortable position he unstrapped himself and opened the cockpit's entrance. Before climbing out he reached behind the back of the seat and pulled out a large bundle of white material. Having secured the thing in his arms he stepped outside and proceeded to climb up WingZERO. Once he was standing on top of its head, with one quick thrust of his arms, he flung the camouflage netting over the Gundam. It gently folded the machine into itself and soon the mobile suit looked like nothing more than a pile of fallen snow. Nodding in satisfaction he descended from the Gundam, jumping from one body part to another.

As he landed on the ground he heard the familiar sound of jet engines and his head tilted towards the heavens. His brows perked up when he saw the flash of red and an eerie image appeared in front of him. While watching the metal monster change from its flight form to its familiar mobile suit figure Heero pressed himself against a tree to escape detection. _/Epyon?/_ Heero couldn't believe what he was seeing, but despite his shock he didn't make any attempts to move forward or run away. The Japanese pilot stood still as Epyon slowly descended to the ground, its thrusters easing its downward flight. It landed on the ground with a loud thud and stood completely still as if waiting for something to happen. _/Relena's in that thing?... No!/_

*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*

The sound of metal locks being disengaged reached Heero's ears and he snuck a peek to see what was happening. When his head popped into view, he took in the image of the snow covered earth moving apart, while the square patch of snow that Epyon stood upon remained still. There was more muffled sounds of metal moving as the platform Epyon was on began to move down. _/An underground base!/_ Seeing the suit slowly being lowered into the darkness below, Heero made his move and ran to the platform. Silently slipping near the mobile suit's large metal feet, he hid himself as the suit was lowered deeper still. _/This is very deep underground. No wonder it was so hard to find. This place is probably more than a hundred meters underground. At this depth not even the satellites could pick it up./_

Minutes passed and soon Heero could see light from below the platform, as it slowly got brighter. Swiftly, he moved behind Neo Epyon's left foot and pressed his body as close to it as possible to prevent giving himself away. The platform soon came to a complete stop, a loud bang signaled that it had made contact with the base's steel foundation. He heard the sound of the suit's cockpit door opening followed by the thump of a figure landing on the floor. Heero held his breath when he heard the sound of different footsteps approaching. They were walking in the girl's direction and soon they all came to an abrupt halt.

"Did you encounter any problems on the way here?" The general's icy blue eyes searched her face questioningly.

"Negative," her equally cold voice replied in turn.

"That's good. We had better take a look at the Seele units, no telling what those Preventers could've done to them." He motioned for the two doctors accompanying him forward and they quickly obeyed. One went behind her and began to usher her towards the exit while the other opened the door. Once they were out the general turned back to look at the Neo Epyon for a moment before exiting the hangar as well. Heero remained steadfast and silent behind the Gundam's foot as he glared at the man's retreating form.

* * *

In a medical examination room within the underground base, a group of doctors were working away, examining the head of the Neo Epyon pilot. Seated on top of their examination table, she kept obediently silent and still as wires and sensors were hooked up to her head and the mysterious devices. One of the men sat in front of a computer typing away as information ran across its screen. Another was looking at the readings displayed on the machines telling of her condition. Two more were inspecting her head, fingering the Seele units for any signs of damage. The beeping and clicking sounds of the machines and computer filled the small room, making it impossible for the doctors to take notice of the metallic banging sound that came from above; Rei, however, heard it loud and clear. Ripping the wires and sensors from her head she reached behind and pulled out her gun. Ignoring the bewildered doctors, she opened the door and ran out of the room.

"What do you think that was all about?" an old man with white hair and green eyes asked his colleagues.

"Do you think it's the Seele units?" a younger man with graying brown hair queried.

"They shouldn't have given her that kind of reaction," another doctor with black hair and a dense beard answered.

* * *

_/Shit! She heard me./_ After having been so careless with his movements, Heero now found himself running down the dark corridors of the OZ base. The girl had heard him and was now after him, yet he did not know where she was or if she was close to him or not. _/Dammit, I have to find a way out of here. Let's see… I have no knowledge of this base's floor plans, I don't have access to any of its facilities, and I only brought one gun, two extra magazines, and a few explosives./_ Surveying his surroundings as he ran, his mind assessed his situation. _/I don't have enough fire power to blow this place up and I have no idea where to go... Wait a minute. The hangar! Epyon! I can use that thing to blast my way out of here and destroy the base./_ Making sure no one was around he quickly made his way back to the hangar, taking out the guards who took notice of him.

Within minutes he found his way back to the hangar that held the Gundam, firing at the control panel the door opened and he ran inside. His sights were soon set on the Epyon. Making his way to the machine an object suddenly dropped in front of him, blocking his path. It was Rei once again, a gun held firmly in her hand as she glared at the intruder. Heero didn't flinch as he trained the gun on her. _/Don't make me do this... I can't kill you... not like this.../_

*clap* *clap* *clap*

Heero's gaze shifted to the noise and he saw a man with dark hair and blue eyes walking in their direction, grinning in amusement. "So this is the famous Heero Yuy," he addressed, chuckling softly. His laughter stopped, and his blue eyes fixed themselves on the young man. "The things they say about you weren't just rumors after all. I give you much credit for being able to find _**and**_ infiltrate this base. No one has been able to until now... So tell me, how you were able to do it?" The general waited patiently for the pilot to answer but when none was forthcoming he motioned to Rei, and she undid the safety of her gun.

"Disk," the young man replied, hatred filling his voice.

With her free hand, Rei reached inside her chest pocket and retrieved the disk. Examining it, gun still in hand, she soon found a small object lodged in one of its crevices, something she had overlooked the first time around. She nodded to the general, affirmation that the boy hadn't been lying.

"I have to congratulate you again, Heero Yuy," Whitenburg commented as he proceeded to the girl's side. "Not only did you and your people capture her but you tricked her into revealing our location. That's quite an accomplishment... So... what were you hoping to achieve next?" There was a gleam in his eyes that challenged the Prussian blue glare. "Oh," he exclaimed when he saw the young man's gaze shift slightly to Rei. "You people still want her back?" he asked mockingly, "Even after everything she's done? After all the people she's killed? All the lives she will continue to take?" Again he gave a soft laugh.

"_**That**_ is not her," Heero seethed.

"Oh, but it is," the general sneered. "Here, I'll show you." Smiling he turned to the girl and gave his command. "Rei, show him your pretty smile." With that command all the coldness disappeared from her face as a new emotion quickly replaced it.

_/No./_ The smile she had on was Relena's, holding none of Rei's personality behind them. It was a genuine happy smile that screamed of Relena's warmth, gentleness, and love. She often gave him that warm smile even when he refused to return it. Seeing it now he almost believed it was really the girl he used to know... the one he had come to care for... the one he'd protect at the cost of his life. _/How? You're not her... but... but I see her in your eyes./_

"Okay. Now show him your hatred," the general commanded again. Just like before, the previous emotion was washed away leaving only the one that Whitenburg desired.

_/Damn you./_ He almost couldn't believe it when he saw her eyes blaze at him with unbearable loathing. This was a look she rarely gave to anyone, only to those that committed certain acts, which could never be forgiven. But he recognized it and it truly belonged to her. She wasn't one to hate and if she did, she'd forgive easily. _/What did they do to you to make you turn this way?... or is this what you really feel towards me?/_

Seeing the Gundam pilot's almost unnoticeable reaction fueled the man to go further. "Now, show him how sad you can be," he ordered with a menacing gleam in his eye. Again, she obeyed her superior's command and a new face replaced the previous.

_/.../_ This was too much for Heero to bear as he stared into those red orbs. Every single pain she had ever experienced in her life showed itself in that gaze. The pain she felt for the people, her family, her friends, the world, the colonies, herself, and him. That pain cried to him and tore him to pieces inside. He wanted to reach out and embrace her to, comfort her from the hurt. This wasn't the empty shell that once had a gun pointed at him, this was Relena. _/Relena.../_ He knew it was hers; he was usually the one to bring such an expression about. He tried to speak but found his voice had failed him. Defeated, he dropped his gun and summoning everything he still held within him, he breathed out. "How?" It was barely above a whisper but the general still heard.

"Because we have that kind of power," the man said triumphantly. With a flick of his hand, four soldiers appeared and took hold of the Gundam pilot, leading him out of the room. The boy didn't struggle and allowed himself to be led away. "That'll be all for now, Rei."

Hearing those words she dropped her own gun and began to walk out as well, but her face had not reverted back to its cold mask. Her eyes still overflowed with sadness and she couldn't explain the pain she felt in her chest. It was a pain that emanated from her heart, the one that was supposed to be dead.

-to be continued-


	11. Reawakening Pains

Disclaimer: Everyone already knows that I'm not the one who owns Gundam Wing. This story is NOT official.

Warnings: Mild language and violence.

A.N: Again, like the last chapter, not much has been changed from the original. A dialogue here and there and some sentence rewording, but the backbone of the chapter hasn't changed.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 10: Reawakening Pains

By: Vegie-kun

Quatre slept uneasily in his bed; the blanket that had been covering his body was now tangled around his legs as unsettling images of something resembling Epyon flooded his mind. The beast stood there motionless, looking at him menacingly as if to challenge him to come hither. Its glowing green eyes spoke of danger before it suddenly turned its head away as it spotted something of more interest. The Arabian pilot was left speechless, still reeling from the shock but quickly turned to see what had caught the Gundam's attention. His eyes went wide as he spotted that all too familiar head of long blonde hair and sea blue eyes. She was looking off into the distance, as if naively unaware of the threat looming around her. Quatre made a dash for her, but the Epyon was faster and reached her in mere seconds, thrusters flaring. The young man froze, unable to do anything but watch the monster engulf the girl with its body. "NO!" Quatre's scream pierced through the night air as he was jolted awake. Blue-green eyes looked questioningly into dark oblivion as he clutched at his heart through his pajama shirt. _/What did I just see? What does it mean?... Pain./_ "My body... it's so... painful." His voice whispered hoarsely in the room, his grip tightening, forehead wet with night sweat. _/Relena... Heero... Where are you guys?/_

* * *

*BOOM* *KABOOM* *CRASH*

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" A rotund man with graying black hair yelled, getting out of his seat. He almost fell over as more explosions rocked the entire facility.

"SIR! It's WingZERO!" a soldier confirmed as he ran into the main control room of the military base located in the United States' Mojave Desert.

"WHAT!?" The old commander shouted, unable to comprehend his subordinates' words.

"WingZERO's attacking the base!" the soldier repeated, breathing heavily. He slouched over and rested his hands on his knees, tired from his run. "It came out of nowhere and has already destroyed the hangar and half of the tank patrol!"

"Are you absolutely positive!? I thought that thing was destroyed years ago!" he yelled back to the tired soldier. He raced to the panels and consoles and began pressing buttons furiously. Soon the monitors showed the horrible destruction littering the grounds of the desert base. He watched as the menacing mechanical being drew out its beam saber and started to slice through the remaining tanks that its twin barrel buster rifle had missed. "My God... why has it turned against us?" the old man muttered in disbelief. More explosions were heard and felt as the rest of the personnel within the room scrambled to get information on the situation around the base.

"Things haven't been the same since Foreign Minister Darlian's disappearance, sir," a soldier commented as he maneuvered the laser cannons to fire at the intruder.

"Then I pray that she's still alive and we find her soon... Maybe then all this can end before it's too late... She's about the only person left who can stop such madness." He motioned to the soldier to commence firing at the enemy. The screens lit up as the beams of light found its target, it staggered back a few steps from impact. Regaining its footing the Gundam unfolded its angelic wings and shielded its body from the assaulting blasts.

"Sir! We're picking up other bodies on the radar!" Another soldier called out in panic to the commanding officer. "There's about thirty of them, and they're headed here at an alarming rate!" His young face betrayed all the fear he felt inside his body, and he struggled to keep his composure.

"I've got visual confirmation," the man next to him informed as he pushed a button. Suddenly the monitor switched to reveal thirty mobile suits littering the sky. They looked like a hybrid between the Virgo mobile dolls and Serpent mobile suits. Armed with double Gatling guns and Planet Defensers they easily broke through the laser shower and descended upon the base. Once they touched ground the suits wasted no time and began to open fire on the buildings. The blasts and explosions shook the entire compound apart and people began to pour out of the rooms, evacuating to safety shelters.

"OZ," the general's one word confirmed all their worst fears. They didn't need to see any logos or receive any audio response to figure out who was behind this. It was plainly shown through the force of the attack, quick and precise. The old man sighed and shook his head, deflated. "I don't think we'll make it through this battle... but if we're going to die, we'll die fighting. Right?" he looked at his men, sadness and remorse gracing his weathered face. The other soldiers looked at the older man and nodded their heads in agreement before turning their attention to the battle in front of them.

"S-sir!" one of the men operating a panel stuttered, "There are three more bodies approaching us from the east." His hands flew over the panel's keyboard and within seconds another monitor came to life. "They're coming into view right... now!"

Silence, then..."Awww..." They were all stunned as they gazed upon the forms of Altron, Heavyarms, and Sandrock. Their thoughts were on whether or not the three new players were friend or foe. Luckily, their fears were assuaged when Altron powered up its twin beam trident and hurled itself at an enemy mobile suit.

"I think..." The old commander began, breathlessly, "that we've just been saved." He could no longer turn his gaze away from the battle.

* * *

"Trowa!" Quatre yelled over the com-link to his friend as he surveyed the small army of mechanical soldiers in front of them. "What kind of mobile suits are those?!"

"OZ mobile suits," replied the stoic pilot as he unloaded rounds of ammunition into a group of suits.

"Are they being piloted by soldiers or are they mobile dolls?" the Arabian pilot asked as he blocked off an attack from one of them.

"What does it matter!?" Wufei yelled as he fought off two mobile suits. They were severely outnumbered and the mobile suits were more advanced than what they were used to dealing with.

"Wufei's right, Quatre," Trowa stated as he dodged and shot into a group of the suits, "at the moment we can't afford to take it easy against them just on the offhand chance that there are real pilots inside."

"Bastards!" Wufei cursed to himself. "They just _**had**_ to attack when Heero goes missing and that baka, Maxwell, is off visiting L2! AAAHHHH!" He screamed as he struck out at another suit, only to have the enemy block the blow.

For what seemed like ages they continued to trade blows and artillery fire with the enemy suits, doing their best to dodge and find openings for attacks. Wufei's initial judgement had been correct. It didn't matter whether the suits held a live pilot or was being controlled by a computer system. They couldn't afford to take the cautious route when the enemy clearly had the advantage. But what they lacked in numbers they certainly made up for in terms of superior fire power and unmatched battle experience. After a time they began to make progress in destroying the mobile suits but the pace was slow, too slow for their tastes. As the three fought the oncoming suits they failed to notice the Gundam that had unfurled its wings, positioning itself to strike them.

"Yuy?!" Wufei stammered, confused, when he caught a glimpse of those deceptively angelic wings. But it was too late; WingZERO had already descended upon Altron.

"WUFEI!" Quatre yelled when the winged Gundam rammed itself into Wufei's suit. Worried, he quickly finished off the hybrid suit in front of him and made a mad dash to aid his comrade. Opening his com-link he made to get Heavyarms' attention. "Trowa! WingZERO just appeared and is currently engaging Wufei!" He staggered back as a barrage of fire was aimed his way. "Why is WingZERO attacking us?! What is Heero doing in there?!" He questioned aloud knowing full well that he would get no satisfactory answer in return. "Doesn't he know who we are?!" Panicked by the prospects of what this meant he made his way quickly through the metallic melee. "Do you think he was captured and turned into someone like Rei?" His fear rose as flashes of last night's dream assailed him.

"That seems to be the case," the Heavyarms pilot agreed as he finished off yet another one of the persistent metal machines. Although his face, voice, and actions betrayed nothing, he knew his worst fears were being realized. _/Sending Heero out by himself was a bad idea… If they have him on their side then we're in more trouble than we thought…/_

"Stay back, Winner!" the Chinese pilot yelled at the Arabian. "Take care of the other mobile suits first, I can handle WingZERO!" The determination in his voice stopped the blond pilot dead in his tracks. Quatre knew Wufei held an amount of pride that wasn't so easily shaken so he respected that command and refrained from interfering. After a parting look at the dueling Gundams he turned around to assist Heavyarms.

"Quatre," Trowa said calmly, "switch your frequency to Heero's and see if you can talk some sense into him." That said he turned around and opened the compartments containing the micro missiles and sprayed them into the enemy crowd. The OZ suits attempted to dodge them though only a few managed to evade the onslaught unscathed.

After ducking a barrage of bullets from the nearby suits, Quatre began trying to tune into WingZERO's frequency. Minutes passed before the young man found the right one, making haste to contact the other pilot while he continued to defend himself. "Heero?! Is that you?!" he yelled frantically, waiting for a reply only to have silence answer him back. "What are you doing, Heero?!" He yelled earnestly, hoping for a reply. "Why are you attacking us!?" He continued to shout though to no avail. He continued to keep the line of communication open but as nothing but more silence followed, he realized his attempts were futile.

"It won't do you any good talking to him!" Altron's pilot shouted to the other two, "If he's anything like that onna, then it's just a waste of time." Wufei continued engaging with the winged Gundam, spinning and swinging his Twin Beam Trident.

Silence reigned over them afterwards even as the number of OZ mobile suits began to dwindle. The tides of battle had turned in favor of the Gundam pilots but they were becoming more and more exhausted as the time continued to tick away and their Gundams had taken much damage. The fighting continued as the young pilots received assistance from the base's laser cannons. In due course Heavyarms and Sandrock managed to bring the enemy's mobile suit number down to five, though Trowa was running low on ammunition. Turning their attention to Altron they noticed that Wufei had managed to knock WingZERO's Twin Barrel Buster Rifle out of its hand, leaving it to rely solely on its beam saber.

Quatre and Trowa eventually destroyed the last of the mobile suits and made their way to join Wufei in taking down WingZERO. Sandrock surveyed the destruction littering the military compound and its pilot let out a tired sigh. "We were too late to save most of the base," he said in a solemn voice, regret evident in his eyes. "I just hope we're not too late to save Heero." He propelled himself forward with his thrusters and was soon by Altron's side. The three Gundams stood in a circle around WingZERO, weapons drawn and ready for battle once more.

"Yuy," the Chinese pilot called over his com-link, "you know we have you outnumbered so why don't you just give up? There's no point in fighting anymore; you'll just cause more damage to yourself and your Gundam." They all waited for a response of any kind but received none. "Have it your way, Yuy." Declaration said, the dark eyed boy began his charge.

"Wufei, wait." Trowa calmly interrupted him.

"What is it!?" the other questioned with annoyance.

"Don't do anything that might provoke him further," Trowa's voice was even and serious.

"Trowa's right," Quatre agreed. "You know he has a tendency to self-detonate himself if there are no other options left to him. We can't take that chance; there are still too many people left on this base. If we're to confront him we have to do it in a place as far away from any sort of population as possible."

"Are you saying we should let him go?!" Wufei seethed.

"We have no other choice. We can't risk the lives of any more people," the blond reasoned.

"Watch out!" Trowa's warning quickly broke their argument as five more mobile suits appeared unexpectedly.

All three jumped out of the way as a shower of bullets rained down on them. Wufei instinctively extended his Dragon Fang and disemboweled one of the suits; Trowa charged at another, the remaining shells of his double Gatling gun finding its targets. The sound of bullets firing was heard and the two turned their heads just in time to see Quatre take down another with its Vulcan cannon. Wufei and Trowa soon put the remaining two out of commission while Quatre searched for others that may still be lurking within the vicinity. When no attack was forthcoming the three looked around for signs of the other Gundam but found none.

"Dammit!" the Chinese pilot yelled in frustration, realizing that those five suits were nothing more than a distraction meant to allow WingZERO the opportunity to escape capture. The pilots stood there for a while, exhausted, confused, angry, sad, and in total disbelief of what had just transpired.

* * *

In a dark prison cell, located deep within OZ's main base, the silhouette of Heero Yuy's figure sitting on the floor could be discerned from the light pouring through the bars of the doors small window. With his back against the wall, knees bent, head hung, and shackled hands stretched out in front of him, he remained still as death. He wondered what the time it was, having lost track of how many days he'd spent locked up in this darkness. Without a clock and the irregular timing of his meals, they made sure it stayed that way to keep his disoriented. The first day, or what he surmised was the first day, had been bearable. But as he sat there without anything to do he felt the boredom and lethargy creep onto and seep into him. The situation truly made him regret not giving Trowa more detail as to where he'd been headed. If he had just done so, it was likely that the Preventers would have already deployed a search and rescue party into the area.

His head perked up slightly when he heard heavy but even paced footsteps approaching his way. He had an idea of who it was as there were only a few soldiers within this organization who possessed such a commanding gait. Soon the footsteps reached his cell, stopping directly in front of his door. He heard the sound of keys clanging and in seconds the door was pried open. The light from the hallway silhouetted the figure, and Heero was able to identify the general. The man grinned as he made his way inside the room, taking a seat on the unused bed left by the Gundam pilot. He didn't bother to close the door as he began to converse with the prisoner.

"Rei is making good use of that Gundam of yours," he started in an amused voice. "She took to it very fast which isn't hard to imagine considering her experience with the Neo Epyon..." He smiled at the younger man mockingly, reminding him of his initial failure at protecting the girl. "I must say that your Gundam is quite impressive, even with the scaled back armor. Whoever you sequestered to build it made sure to compensate it well for what seems to be a lack of materials. The blueprints Treize left behind for the original Epyon couldn't match this WingZERO… but in regards to the Neo Epyon… it's vastly improved from the original. You can say they are almost evenly matched. The only deciding factor left is the-"

"Pilot," Heero finished evenly.

"Yes," he agreed, "and we all know who that will be." He smiled wickedly. "She's an incredible pilot… not to mention quite beautiful as well." Whitenburg chuckled softly to himself when his gaze was met with deadly blue eyes that held a promise of pain.

"If you've touched her in any way, I swear I'll kill you with my bare hands," the captive pilot threatened, silent fire and hatred burning in his eyes.

The man laughed at the threat and shook his head; it was delightfully easy to rile the young man when a certain blonde was concerned. "You have nothing to worry about. I made sure that nothing like _**that**_ happened to her. I'm a gentleman after all; to me such acts are abhorrent and dishonorable. Besides if something like that were to happen, the Seele units wouldn't work." Seeing the lack of comprehension his statement failed to give the man continued. "Such 'acts' causes trauma to the mind, especially when it's that of a young girl. Those types of trauma cannot be blocked out and are actually able to override the programming of the units, causing the subject to relive that same event over and over again. Unable to handle the situation, they eventually go berserk and destroy anything and everything that threatens them."

Heero became silent, letting what the General had said sink in. "Did you erase her memories?" he asked in his even voice.

"Erase?" the older man smiled, evidently amused, before answering. "Erasing memories means destroying brain cells. There is no other way around it. If too many brain cells are destroyed the person becomes a vegetable and utterly useless. We needed her in tip top condition for the role she is currently playing."

Again the man was given a deadly stare. "The world was at peace. There was no reason for you to start another war," the younger man stated from his seat on the steel floor.

"Peace is not absolute nor is it permanent," the general coldly replied. "What you call 'peace', I call a state of denial. Conflicts never disappear; they just take on other forms and stay hidden from public view until the opportune time."

"Why did you start this?" Heero's voice was rather demanding despite his current situation.

"Well... If I have to give a reason as to 'why' then it's because it was needed," the older man replied calmly taking out a pack of cigarettes and lighter from his breast pocket. "When the war ended the countries that relied on it began to decline. Those who worked making artillery and those who served in the armies were left without a place to go but they still held hope that it was only temporary." He paused to light up and take a drag. He blew out a stream of smoke, before turning to Heero with a thoughtful expression. "You don't mind if I smoke right?" He asked before chuckling to himself. "What am I saying? Like I give a damn about what you prefer. Anyways... " He continued, taking another drag. "When de-militarization began those hopes were crushed and those people were forced to start life over again. You should know very well what that must have been like being a soldier yourself." He paused for a while and eyed the boy waiting for some response but none was given.

"During the conflict you were praised as a hero and a worthy enemy, but when it ended you were discarded like some old rag doll. But that in itself was not the biggest tragedy. No." His voice became emotionless as a dark expression overtook him. "The most humiliating part was having to follow the machinations of a fifteen-year-old girl who knew nothing of a soldier's livelihood. Our say in such matters was slowly wrenched from us as she encouraged countries to disarm themselves, not knowing that arms were what kept their economies alive... But now we will use her to get back what she took; she will take us back to the beginning and we will rebuild this world."

Heero shook his head at that. "She knew war... She knew the cost of it... the real cost of it, " He began contemplatively, "Which was the reason why she wanted it to end... She wanted to make it so that people wouldn't be afraid to go out and live. If she hadn't thought those people could pick themselves up then she wouldn't have suggested such proclamations or promoted such ideals. War may provide income to some but it takes their lives along with many others in return." Heero fixed an icy glare on the man.

"That's quite an amusing view of this situation," Whitenburg scoffed flicking ash off the end of the cigarette, "But I will not be deterred from the path I have chosen. The wheels have already been set in motion and I plan to see it to the end. If she wins, the people will hate her and if she dies, the people will lose their hope. In the end I will emerge victorious." The general paused, hearing footsteps slowly making their way towards the cell. A shadow appeared in the doorway and the men looked up. "How was your first mission in WingZERO, Rei?"

"Unsuccessful," the girl replied in her clipped monotone voice.

"Complications?" he mused, bringing up the cigarette to his mouth and taking a long drag on it.

"Affirmative," she replied, still standing in the doorway.

"Looks like your friends are finally catching up to us." The older man closed his eyes for a second, sighed and slowly got up from his seat. "Keep our 'guest' company, Rei. I'm going to personally oversee the repairs for the Gundam. If we can't get it in tip top condition by the scheduled 'date' then you'll be piloting the Neo Epyon." He saw her nod; satisfied he threw the butt on the floor, stamping it out before leaving the room.

Once gone, an uncomfortable silence blanketed the two young pilots. She took the general's previous seat upon the bed and leaned back on the wall, crossing her arms and legs. Her gaze fell on the boy even as his was on the floor. He didn't dare meet her red orbs, afraid he'd find what he'd always seen in them. Nothing. She reminded him too much of himself and he hated who he was; a coward. One who would rather run away from the things that plagued his mind rather than face them. One who lied to himself about his feelings because he wasn't used to experiencing them. One who used his 'missions' as an excuse not to feel. But he did feel. Once. Twice. They were always all too fleeting and prone to interruptions.

"How were they?" Heero found himself asking when he couldn't stand her cold gesture towards him any longer. He found himself needing to hear her voice to make sure she was alive.

"Formidable." The girl answered, ever dutiful to the orders given to keep the 'guest' company.

"WingZERO?" he queried, not taking his eyes off the floor.

There was a brief pause and Heero turned his head to meet her eyes. "... Different," she finally replied, keeping a steady gaze on the sitting figure.

"How so?" he deepened the conversation in an attempt to nonchalantly pry information out of her.

"It... feels different." Rei didn't like the questions, but she was given an order and she wasn't one to disobey.

"Feels?" the boy's interest was piqued with the strange answer.

"Like... there is someone else in there." The girl stopped for a second, her face had a rare look of surprise to it. _/That same feeling.../_ She turned her head fully to the Japanese pilot, her expression still one of surprise. "You… It feels like you," she stated in an accusing manner.

Heero raised his eyebrows. _/Like me? What does she mean by that?/_ Lost in thought he failed to notice that the girl had gotten up and was now kneeling in front of him. She wanted to see his eyes; maybe she could find an answer in them, one that would help explain what she felt. For some reason unknown to her, whenever she was near him the hairs on the back of her head stood on end, like she was afraid of something. Although if she really dissected the feeling, it wasn't that she was afraid _**of**_ him. No. It was more like she was afraid _**for**_ him, not knowing what was going to happen to the Japanese pilot and being in the WingZERO didn't change that. In fact, that feeling was what prevented her from completing her mission; prevented her from killing those other Gundam pilots.

Her face inched closer to the prisoner's, still trying to find an answer there. She locked her eyes with his and bore into them. She noticed that his breathing had become shallow, apparently unfamiliar with such closeness. "Who _**are**_ you?" she asked suddenly, surprising the both of them. Before he could say anything her hands clutched at her head, pain ripping through her skull.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_As WingZERO stood in the middle of a large and empty room, the only occupants that could be seen were that of a young boy and girl. They both stood in front of the Gundam's open cockpit, staring into each other's eyes as they exchanged words. The girl held a look of worry while the boy held one of reassurance._

_"If you live through this there will be peace." The words were scattered through her mind, unsure of the order to which the words being recalled came in. The images were scattered as well as if they'd been especially picked for her to see._

_"Believe in me," the boy said as he brought his helmet closer to hers. If not for the helmets one could have sworn their lips would touch, even if it were the slightest of butterfly touches._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

The girl's aquamarineeyes stared questioningly at the boy's deep Prussian blue. Before she could say anything the pain came back; her mind fought to remember the prisoner before her.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_The same girl was at a naval base, apparently on a search for someone. She spotted a crop of dark brown hair and approached it, calling out his name but it was lost to the wind. He'd heard her though and turned around with a placid look upon his face before drawing out his gun._

_ "You're in way over your head."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

The pain was too unbearable as the girl squeezed her eyes shut in a vain attempt to block out the flashing images that continued to bombard her.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_At the balcony of a school a boy stood with his back and arms against the stone rails. His face seemed to stare off into space while a group of girls watched him from the side. One of the girls, a blonde with blue-green eyes, walked up to him and handed him a card. The words the girl said were unheard as he took the invitation from her hand. Suddenly, without warning, the boy ripped the paper in half. Tears threatened to form in the girl's eyes as she asked him 'Why?'. Before a single drop could fall he reached out his hand towards her face and took it away._

_ "Omae o korosu."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

The girl got up to run away from the painful visions but only managed to take a few steps back before stumbling to the ground. _/Pain./_ She felt them with each image. Deciding not to fight against it any longer she succumbed to her body's weariness and fell over, unconscious. The guards came in when they'd heard her hit the floor. Quick to action Heero leapt into the air and took the two young soldiers out with a heavy blow to each of their heads. Sneering at the two bodies now decorating the floor he looked towards the third body in the back.

Something wasn't right with the girl and Heero knew it. He wanted to stay and check on her well being but he couldn't afford to let go of an opportunity such as this. He could escape without anyone finding out for at least a couple of hours, but he didn't want to leave her in her present state. Mentally confirming his decision the pilot went over to one of the fallen guards; retrieving the key he unlocked the bindings imprisoning his wrist. He moved back to the girl sprawled on the floor and scooped her into his arms. Walking over to the empty bed he gently placed her onto the semi-soft mattress, staring at her for a brief moment as he stroked her blonde bangs to the side. Unconsciously, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving the cell in a mad dash. _/I'm not leaving you... I will come back... I promise./_

He left the room too quickly to notice the girl tossing her head back and forth as she fought to regain consciousness. "Heero..." she cried softly into the still air of the room.

-to be continued-


	12. The Past Unearthed

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Warnings: Mild language and violence

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 11: The Past Unearthed

By: Vegie-kun

"Heero did what!?" Duo yelled when they told him of their recent battle. The American pilot had just arrived from L2 not less than an hour ago in one of the best moods of his life before it was quickly shattered by the shocking news. He had to fight back the urge to hop into Deathscythe Hell and track OZ down, intending to do some serious damage to their base.

"No mistake about it, it was definitely WingZERO we fought against back there," Trowa confirmed.

"There's no way Heero would let them do that to him!" Duo protested slamming his hands down on the table. "If we have a hard enough time restraining that psychotic nut case, what makes you think OZ can!? I mean it's _**HEERO**_ for heaven's sake!" He was absolutely furious and had reverted to Shinigami mode, something usually reserved for when he was in a cockpit.

"I wish we could have had better news for you," Quatre replied, trying to soothe the rage within his friend.

"Dammit! This really sucks!" Deathscythe's pilot shouted as he moved away from the table only to slam his fist into a nearby wall.

"Calm down Maxwell," Wufei spoke up from his seat at the far end of the conference table, "now is not the time to lose one's head. We have to concentrate on developing a plan to get both Yuy and Foreign Minister Darlian back." He closed his eyes, crossed his arms over his chest, and leaned back in his chair. _/The way he fought back there... it didn't seem like him. If he wanted to he could have killed us... it's not like him to hold back… unless he's trying to fight off OZ's control.../_ He clicked his tongue in disgust._ /Dammit, we're losing this battle with every passing minute./_

"Wufei's right," Noin concurred as she gazed out the window, "but I think the Gundam pilots should lay low for a while and let the Preventers take over until we can locate their main base." She turned her head and was greeted by many looks of surprise.

"What are you saying, onna?" Wufei questioned, obviously angry and annoyed by that remark.

"Yeah, just what do you mean by that?" Duo inquired as he leaned against the wall.

"Miss Noin," the Arabian pilot protested, "we can't just sit down and do nothing while our friends are in OZ's hands. There's no telling what those people are putting them through." His usually sweet appearance was marred by a deep frown.

The older woman placed one hand on her hip and ran the other through her hair. "I understand your concern," she interjected, "but look at it this way... they managed to get a hold of Heero, what makes you think they aren't after the rest of you as well?" Her face and voice were stern as she continued, "If that happens, then they would be near impossible to defeat. We already have our hands tied trying to resolve this matter with WingZERO without alerting the public to our existence. We don't have the resources right now to spare if you all get taken."

"Yes," Quatre hesitantly agreed, "But we can't just sit around idly and do nothing."

"Look," Noin tried once more to reason with them, "If OZ somehow managed to get Gundams along with their pilots fighting on their side, neither the Earth nor the colonies will be able to stand up against them. The Preventers wouldn't be able to do anything against that kind of firepower and our world would fall easily into OZ's hands."

"If this were a different situation then I would have agreed with you," Wufei began in an even voice, "but right now we can't afford to lose any more time. The longer we wait the better the chances OZ has of accomplishing their goals, whatever they may be."

At this point she realized that they wouldn't easily budge on this matter. "But how do you plan on stopping them when you don't even know where they are?" Noin conceded as she tilted her head to the side.

The room became silent as the five pooled their brains together to formulate a plan that would help them in their endeavor. Wufei leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes while Quatre took up a thinking position from his seat directly across from him. The Deathscythe pilot started pacing around the room as the Heavyarms pilot stood in a corner, closely monitored his movements. Noin held her arms across her body with her head hung down in deep contemplation.

"We will set a trap." Trowa's sudden suggestion caught everyone's gaze as they listened intently for details.

"Go on, we're listening..." Duo urged, a devious smile creeping its way onto his face.

* * *

In one of OZ's medical labs, the doctors and scientists responsible for developing the Seele units were now hovering above an examination table, their experiment strapped firmly onto it. The girl was unconscious but her face still held its usual emotionless mask though none knew of the pain hidden behind it. _/Why haven't you killed me yet?/_

The guard placed in charge of delivering the prisoner's food was the one to report the boy missing, the girl unconscious and the other guards incapacitated. It was quite the shock for everyone when upon hearing the news, General Whitenburg had rushed from his inspection of the Gundams to the cell, ignoring the soldiers and mechanics on the floor. Without giving them a second thought he hastily sprinted to the girl's side. Upon arrive at the cell he had shown a surprising degree of concern as he tried to wake her up, shaking her gently. Shocking his men once again he picked her up and personally carried her off to the nearest med lab.

"How is she?" the General asked in a voice that was uncharacteristically full of fear and concern.

"Well sir, her vital signs seem to be in order," the man with graying brown hair replied. "She's in the best of physical conditions despite her recent battle with the Gundams."

"Then why is she like this?" the General's question came out in harshly as he dangerously eyed the man in the lab coat.

"It appears to be the Seele units, sir," the man with the black hair and beard replied. He gestured to the General to come see the information displayed on the computer monitor for himself. When Whitenburg reached the console the doctor found it safe to continue. "Some of the circuits to unit 3 have been damaged though it appears as if they've been that way for about a week now. Can you offer any ideas as to how that could have happened?"

"Damn," the General cursed beneath his breath. _/That transmission we sent her must have been too much for the units to handle./_ He composed himself and a thought entered his mind. "If the Seele units have been damaged this entire week, why is she just starting to show signs of breakdown now?"

"We can't really say for sure," the doctor with dark brown skin and hazel eyes answered, "but we think it could have been due to her recent experience in WingZERO."

"I can't see how that could be the reason," the man with the icy blue eyes stated, "Their ZERO systems are exactly identical. We've extensively checked the blueprints to make sure that it was."

"Well," the oldest doctor began, "the system might be the same but the pilot who operated it isn't." He then began to read the printouts that a machine was giving of her brain activity.

"What do you mean by that?" His interest perked up at the revelatory statement.

"We aren't precisely clear as to how it works," the old man with white hair began again, "but we believe the ZERO system starts to develop a certain feel for its main pilot." When he saw that the General still couldn't comprehend what he was saying he continued. "The more a pilot uses that ZERO system, the more the program gets accustomed to that one pilot, knowing its brainwaves and thought processes almost personally. Since that Gundam's original pilot has been piloting that machine for a longer period of time, it's safe to say he probably left a very strong impression behind in that ZERO system."

"And the Seele units can do nothing to block out the influence of the ZERO system," the General finished for him, receiving a slow nod in affirmation. "What are the possible options available to use in this situation? We can't just remove it; we'd risk causing her a memory flood if unit 3 was removed."

"Hmmm..." the doctor with dark brown skin contemplated as he placed his hand under his chin, thinking quickly, "we don't have to remove the unit to repair it. By hooking her up directly to Unit 3's program, we won't have to worry about the threat of memory flooding while we replace the broken circuit. The process won't take as long compared to installing a completely new unit."

"How long?" the General snapped causing the three younger doctors to jump.

"At most, it would take about two hours," he replied.

"Then get to it immediately," he prompted. The others instantly began to busy themselves as he moved closer to the examination table until he was hovering directly above the girl. His face softened momentarily as he reached out to brush aside a stray strand of hair before moving it lower to softly caress her cheek. Like a passing gust of wind, the look of content disappeared and he rushed out of the door.

The four men watched patiently as he left the room, the oldest face showed concern for the cold-hearted General. He sighed deeply and turned to his other comrades; his face held a look of sympathy. "I think that he still sees her in this girl."

* * *

_/Who does he mean by her?... Whatever... It doesn't matter; I've got more important things to worry about right now. If I continue to observe them, hopefully I can understand more about those Seele units./_ Heero tried to keep as still and quiet as he could while he lay on his stomach in the ventilation duct. It had only been a day since his 'escape' and while OZ believed him to be long gone by now, he merely hid himself. This was the opportune time to go search for information and get accustomed to the base.

As he watched the doctors attach wires to her head and pierce her arm with tubes, he made a mental note to hurt them for having done this to Relena. It wasn't a very pretty sight and he had never wanted to see her in such a cruel state; wired like a piece of machinery as men poked and prodded her like some specimen for a science project. However disturbing the scene he carefully burned everything he saw to memory. _/So, by being in my WingZERO she feels the impressions I leave in it. I wonder if it's the same way with Epyon... I wonder how long she's been piloting that thing... Maybe there's a way to save her after all... ::Don't let that fact soften you, Yuy. The possibility that she will remain under their control still exists::/_

* * *

The metal door slid open and Whitenburg walked slowly into his quarters, his pace even and unhurried. His living quarters was larger than most, a reflection of his high status within OZ. His personal belongings decorated the walls and littered his desk, revealing snippets of his personal life. The man sighed to himself and sluggishly walked over to the other side of the room where his bed was located. Before reaching it he stopped in front of his dresser and looked into the mirror hung directly above it. The sight that greeted him was a familiar one; it was an image that frequently graced that reflective surface every time he entered this chamber.

He saw his face transform from the stern mask to one that would have easily gained sympathy from strangers. His eyes became tired and drooped slightly while his once set lip and jaw turned into a frown. The gleam in his cold blue orbs diminished minutely as he continued to stare into the looking glass. This was a man of only thirty yet he had the soul of someone who had already lived a lifetime's worth of grief and heartache. He let out another deep sigh as he continued to stare. _/I don't know how much longer I can survive this mundane routine. The years have really taken their toll on me, haven't they?/_

Disgusted with his appearance, he gave a slight snort before walking the rest of the distance to his bed. He sat down on the edge of the soft mattress and buried his head in his hands; he was tired and exhausted. The General reached over to the stand beside the head of his bed and grabbed a flask of liquor along with a short glass. Before pouring anything into it he examined the glass with deep interest as if seeing it for the first time. It was a beautiful piece of work, intricately carved with designs of oak trees and a grassy meadow. His face frowned even more as he poured the liquor, whiskey to be exact, into the small container. Swirling the liquid around for a brief moment he downed the bittersweet substance in one quick gulp.

Whitenburg allowed himself a moment of peace as he felt the alcohol travel through his system before replacing both the flask and glass back to their original positions. Before he withdrew his hand from the stand he grabbed a picture frame that was resting next to the whiskey. The corners of his mouth curved up slightly as he stared into the framed photo, though his eyes held only sadness. It was a picture of two people, a younger version of himself and a woman with sandy blonde hair and warm blue eyes, sitting down in the shade of a large oak tree on a grassy green hill. He had his knees bent and his legs were spread apart while the woman sat between them with her back against his chest. They were both dressed in military attire and it seemed as if they didn't even know that someone had taken their picture. _/Don't worry; I haven't forgotten the vow that we made... I wish you were here to see it though... we are so close to reviving our dreams... Oh God, I miss you so much. The nights always seem to get longer and the days just become more unpleasant with every passing hour... She's so much like you... that strong determination... that strength... those eyes.../_

_*FLASHBACK*_

_The beautiful day was drawing to a close as gentle winds swirled around a few leaves and made the grass dance happily on the hill. In the shadow of a large oak tree two people donning OZ uniforms stood leaning against the large organic pillar. Soft, sweet laughter was being shared between them as the young woman with blonde hair and warm blue eyes turned her head to look up at her comrade._

_"I can't believe you actually had the guts to do that to the instructor. Exactly what did you put in his coffee anyways?" She threw him a whimsical glance before turning her attention to the view of the city._

_"Well, that's my secret," he answered with a smile. The young man continued to look at her lovingly as she moved from her position near the tree to the large shadow created by the tree's top. She stopped in the center of the circular shade and clasped her hands behind her back. "What's on your mind?" He asked as he moved to join her._

_ "Well, tomorrow's our last day of training," she said in a distant voice._

_ "Yeah, so?"_

_"Soooo, we also get our ranking then and I have no doubt in my mind that you'll make captain or lieutenant," she said as she wrapped her arms around her body and allowed the wind to play with strands of her blonde, shoulder length hair, "and then you'll forget about me."_

_ "How can you say that?"_

_"Well," she began playfully as she sat down on the ground, "I'm not as good a pilot as you are and I get nervous during the field operations while you're one of the top students in the class. I'll probably be a sergeant for a while."_

_"What are you talking about?" he asked feigning anger and disappointment. "Didn't we both vow to change this world together when we were younger? Don't tell me you forgot?"_

_"Of course I didn't," she replied as she gave him a smile, "I was just making sure that you hadn't."_

_He gave a soft chuckle as he seated himself right behind her. "Look," he said as he moved his arm over her shoulder to point at the setting sun in front of them._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

The General's hand traced over the glass of the frame and his lips curved into a bitter smile. Letting out one last sigh he put the photo back where it belonged and lay with his back on the soft mattress. The gray, metal ceiling was indifferent to his gaze and he absentmindedly placed his hands behind his head, his eyes slowly and eventually closed shut. _/I hope that you're resting well, my friend... Don't worry, I haven't forgotten our vow.../_

* * *

He bided his time and waited until the doctors had left the room, taking the girl with them, before he even attempted to move around in the vent. The Japanese pilot wasn't about to get captured a second time; he was extra careful to make sure that didn't happen. _/The control room is three rooms forward then one room to the right... but it's sure to have people in it... I need to send out a transmission... I need to uncover some information... I need a computer./_ While crawling through the small tunnel he cursed himself for all the growing he had done. Back when he was only fifteen he never had much trouble sneaking in through tight spaces. Of course that had been years ago and he was now taller, not to mention bulkier.

"Hn." Heero grunted in frustration when his shirt got snagged on a loose screw. He had to find where they had stashed his equipment; that included his flight suit_, _the laptop that was kept in WingZERO_, _and the detonator for his Gundam. The laptop was important but it could easily be replaced, he had most of its files saved on a master disk that he kept hidden in his room. The flight suit may not have seemed as necessary as the former but since WingZERO's detonator was located in one of its pockets, it acquired a new level of priority.

After what seemed like a lifetime, the youth was above a grate and already peering through its holes, checking for any obstacles. Seeing that no one was presently occupying the room, he backed a few inches and started to carefully remove the grate, placing it to the side. Lowering his head slightly through the opening he checked the room once more before jumping down from the hole. He landed with a barely audible thud and proceeded to closely examine his surroundings, checking for security cameras or alarms. It was safe. The room wasn't the main control center but it held computers and that was enough to satisfy Heero.

Running his hands over the panels he located the switch to activate the console and almost immediately the screen glowed a familiar eerie blue. Heero made sure to be as quiet as possible and softened his typing when he felt they were getting too loud. He halted in his actions when he heard footsteps approaching the doorway, holding his breath as he watched the door. Minutes passed and no one entered. He resumed his work once more, taking out a small flash drive he had hidden underneath the bandages still adorning his shoulder and chest. _/Getting shot at wasn't pointless after all. I have to thank Trowa when this is all over./_

Letting his fingers fly over the computer's keys he began to crack code after code after code. He wasn't sure of where it would lead to as long as he got to the classified files and maybe even get some information on this General. However, he knew the most important piece of information was the data on… _/What were they calling it? Ah, yes, the Seele units./_ If he was able to retrieve that then they'd be able to take the device apart layer by layer and maybe, just maybe, deactivate the thing without harming the girl. _/Doctor J and the others would be more than happy to get their hands on this. They'd be able to figure those things out in a few days, hopefully before this battle becomes too dangerous to stop... Before she becomes too dangerous to try and get back./_ His thoughts were suddenly brought to a halt when he came upon a file about the General. _/Well, since it's here.../_He delved into it with an unknown hunger and soon came upon what he was looking for.

* * *

"So when are we going to pull this off?" Duo's anxious voice interrupted their work for the third time that day. The remaining four pilots were in a hanger situated a few miles from the Preventer Headquarters, busy with some sort of work.

"Can't you shut up, Maxwell?" Wufei's impatient voice sliced the air. "Be patient, this is going to take some time, and we have to be careful about how we approach this. If we are not then we could _**all**_ die… I wouldn't mind your death but I do mind my own."

"Aw, c'mon Wufei, you know you don't hate me as much as you say," the pilot teased as he jabbed a finger into the ribs of Altron's pilot.

"Don't count on it, baka," he smirked and continued to make repairs to his Gundam.

"Would you two just quit it?" Quatre himself was beginning to lose his composure. "We don't have time for this." He sighed to himself and picked up a stack of paper, handing it Trowa who entered it into a laptop. "Trowa, the amount we managed to salvage, will that be enough for at least one?"

The stoic pilot regarded him with a single visible eye before going back to his task. "Even though most were destroyed beyond repair and the few remaining operational ones were sent to Preventer Headquarters for analysis… some parts were still left intact. It's now just a matter of piecing them together and getting enough material to fill in the gaps."

The four did the remainder of their work in silence (for once). They had begun early that morning and had worked non-stop into the late afternoon. Occasionally they would glance at the empty space on the wall meant for WingZERO and their eyes cloud over briefly with sadness and remorse. What Wufei had said was true; they could all die if they weren't careful, especially considering Heero's suicidal tendencies. Oh yes, no one left that out. If Heero had no qualms about taking his own life then he certainly had none with taking any one of theirs; that was how they saw it anyways.

"Duo," a female voice rang out through the large hanger.

The American pilot's head automatically popped out from inside Altron's cockpit and he was grinning uncontrollably. "HILDE!" he shouted joyously as he quickly made his way down to the concrete floor. Once his feet were on solid ground he raced over to the familiar thin figure and swept it in a bear hug.

"Duo," the girl started out softly, but became sterner when she assumed he hadn't heard her, "Duo, let go... I can't breathe... Duo, let go!"

The boy reluctantly eased his embrace and smiled sheepishly at the German girl. "Oops, got carried away there, didn't I?"

"Baka," she teased, eyeing him playfully.

He let out a raucous laugh and kissed her cheek. "Is that my permanent nickname or something?" he asked jokingly.

"Keep that up and it might be," she teased and slapped him gently on the arm. "I came here to tell you that I got the rest of the materials you wanted."

"Really?"

"Yep!" Hilde smiled broadly as she placed her hands on her hips. "It was kinda difficult since you called me about it last minute but I got them."

"How did ya do it?" he asked as he poked a finger into her side.

"Well," she began, swatting his hand away from her, "I had to call in all those favors those people owed me. Some were more than happy to do so but a few were pretty teed off. How come you needed so much of the stuff anyways?"

"Because, Hilde, my dear," Duo exclaimed while giving her a sly grin, "we're going to build our own mobile suit."

* * *

"How's she doing?" the doctor with the graying brown hair asked as he entered the training room. "Any signs of complications?" He watched as she continued to do pull-ups on a bar about seven feet off the ground.

"None so far," the old man with the white hair answered as he flipped through sheets of paper on a clipboard. "She should be ready to get back into the cockpit after we finish this evaluation."

"Did you inform Whitenburg yet?" the one with dark brown skin asked.

"He wasn't happy we woke him up," the old man replied, "but he'll be here in a few minutes to inspect her."

"He thinks too much about her," the bearded man commented.

* * *

"She was a guinea pig!?" Heero's angry voice shattered the silence of the computer room. He quickly silenced himself and waited to see if anyone on the outside had heard him. No one did. After downloading the information on General Whitenburg Heero found the files on the Seele units, but more importantly he came across the files for Operation ZERO. He wasn't expecting much, maybe some strategic plans on how to destroy the military bases or the missions that Rei would be doing. Instead he found a file that detailed the experiment with the Seele units from day one.

Apparently, OZ had been trying to develop the Seele units over three years ago, after the Eve Wars had ended. They had only succeeded in making a prototype a little less than two years ago. He saw the data on the soldiers used as test subjects for the device and its program. The soldiers were all healthy males who possessed remarkable reflexes and piloting skills. There were no signs of complications when they were planted with the small objects and the experiments were deemed a success. That was until they were put into the ZERO system and its mind-altering effects. Neo Epyon hadn't been fully constructed at the time but the ZERO system was. As the soldiers were hooked up to the program they appeared to do well until something inside them snapped, something that wasn't unfamiliar but unexpected. The men didn't just start to hallucinate; they started to get violent and began slipping into insanity. The doctors had deemed it a berserker state. They weren't able to offer any sort of solutions and so the test subjects were left that way.

It had taken OZ another year before they came up with a suitable method to deal with the ZERO system, which they'd discovered was able to bypass unit 1 of the Seele devices. The doctors came up with several theories but none seemed plausible. Instead they thought of a way to get around the problem and that was to find subject who could stand the ZERO system, someone with a steadfast and unwavering mind. The Seele program only went so far but if they were able to find the right subject then it wouldn't matter the shortcomings; although that person would tame the device, they would still be under their control. The original plan was to have all of their soldiers implanted with the devices so the ZERO system could be installed into their mobile suits but that was obviously abandoned.

After they began their search of potential pilots that would operate the Neo Epyon they eventually came upon Vice Foreign Minister Darlian. Naturally there were many protests from the doctors and officers but Whitenburg wouldn't budge from his decision. His arguments that she would become a chess piece the Preventers and E.S.U.N. wouldn't dare risk harming finally convinced many of the naysayers and the plan was set into motion. Despite that, a few reports questioned whether he was doing this because he truly believed in its success or if were due personal reasons. To some extent it seemed personal since he really showed no concern about the girl ending up as an unstoppable, rampaging killing machine. Eventually even the doctors came to agree with the choice of candidates if somewhat reluctantly. Since they had no real subject with which to test out the theory their main candidate would have to be said test subject. From there on the file went into detail about her training but Heero already knew what that consisted of.

"She could have ended up as a mindless doll," Heero seethed through clenched teeth, "but they did it anyway!" The youth had to do all he could to contain the anger quickly building in him, threatening to send him in a blind rage. _/We could have lost her forever... I could have lost her forever.../_ It took him several moments before he set aside all those thoughts and continue on with his task.

-to be continued-


	13. Escape to Battle

Disclaimer: Not again! I DON'T own Gundam Wing so this story is NOT official! There, I've said it again!

Warnings: Mild language and violence

Author's Note: Again, I've switched out Zechs for Une. After watching the series a second time I had the feeling that Zechs wanted the world to still believe he was dead, at least for the time being. So for now he's still in the shadows and Une is handling all the diplomatic relations.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 12: Escape to Battle

By: Vegie-kun

It was late evening and OZ's soldiers were still busy making changes to the mobile suits they were utilizing for this war. The sounds of clanging metal and noisy power tools began to die down as the night wore on, accompanied by the sounds of bodies leaving the hangar. Soon the remaining OZ mechanics began to show signs of exhaustion and decided to call it a night. Packing up their tools into their respective boxes they prepared to head out. One of the mechanics, a young woman with fiery red hair, got up to stretch and gave a loud tired yawn. Her partner, a man who seemed a few years younger with dark blond hair, smirked at this.

"Getting too old for the job?" he asked jokingly with a grin on his face.

She turned to glare at him with angry green eyes and gave an indignant snort, turning around to head for the platform elevator. Her partner saw this and gave a look of surprise as he also got up and ran after her. "Hey, I was only kidding! It was only a joke," he pleaded as he chased after her, "I didn't mean anything by it. Honestly, I didn't! C'mon, why do you have to act like this? Hey, wait up, will ya!" he shouted again as he continued to run in her direction.

Fortunately for him she stopped when she reached the platform elevator, standing near it with her arms crossed over her chest as she gave him another glare. When he caught up to her he lowered his eyes and bent his head in shame, muttering a soft apology. She gave a quiet sigh and boarded the huge metal platform, gesturing for him to get on as well. Pressing a switch, the machine began to move and the sound of the metal elevator filled the enormous hanger. The young OZ mechanics remained fairly quiet for the duration of the ride but resumed their antics once they had reached the steel floor. As they headed towards the exit, the shadows of both the Neo Epyon and the WingZERO loomed over them. Reaching the exit, the sound of metal doors sliding open and closed signaled their departure.

"Hn." Heero grunted as he moved from behind the mountain of crates in the corner he was hiding in. He had been there the whole time the mechanics were working on the suits and he felt what they were feeling: tired. _/How long does it take to add upgrades to a mobile suit anyways? Four hours is more than enough to make changes to those machines… Well, it doesn't matter, as long as they didn't touch my WingZERO. If they did.../_ But first things first and that meant getting out of the base. Yep, he would be leaving OZ's base tonight. Five days was already four days too many to be spent in hiding. The young man had practically become a rodent, scurrying through vents and raiding the kitchens. His lips curled up into a cruel smile as he walked over to the OZ mobile suits to give them a closer inspection. _/What were they called again?... Oh yeah, Gemini's. Humph, OZ has got to come up with a better way to name their mobile suits; they're starting to run out of astrological signs./_

As he walked over to the mobile suits he took detailed mental notes on what he saw. The ones with the upgrades were a navy blue color with dark green trimmings instead of the camouflage green that was the standard. They didn't look much different from the originals but that was probably how OZ wanted it; a way to confuse the enemy. When he reached one of the suits his eyebrows perked up slightly noting that they had changed the firearms on the suit. Instead of the customary double Gatling gun, it was equipped with a double beam cannon. His eyes widened when he noticed the thrusters and boosters on the suit. It was probably modified to be faster than the original; the engines were similar to the ones found on the Tallgeese. _/Why didn't I see any of this when I was going through their files? Did they just think of this now or was there another level that I wasn't able to reach? Dammit./_

Heero continued his inspection for another half hour, making sure he remained a good distance from the suits. Getting any closer may set off any alarms that could have been wired to the suits and he wasn't eager to get reacquainted with a prison cell. It was undeniable that they had made some definite changes to the internal programming of the suits; what the changes may have been he wasn't certain. Abandoning the inspection he turned around and started walking in the direction of the Gundams stationed in the back. _/At least they're not wired like those mobile suits./ _A dark smile crossed his face as he slowly began to close the distance between himself and the towering machines.

* * *

The room was dark but the form of a body could be seen lying on the bed with its back on the mattress. The faint lights of various buttons and switches of the machines also occupying the room illuminated the outline of her face. Her hands were folded across her chest and her eyes were closed as she slept lightly. The doctors had done a great job on her and she had returned to being what Whitenburg had taken to calling her – the perfect weapon. _/They managed to lose that Gundam pilot I captured but no one will tell me how it happened. Whitenburg won't even mention it around me and he is usually so keen on details. The matter doesn't really concern me but I've done nothing but train the last two days. That means the real battle is about to come. They're switching me back to the Neo Epyon… I've no qualms about that... Orders are orders./_

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down," Lady Une pleaded as the conference started to take a turn for the worse. The Head Preventer was in currently in an emergency meeting being held at the Peacecraft mansion. In attendance were representatives from the former Sanc Kingdom's bordering neighbors and a few diplomats from Earth and the colonies who felt the meeting too important to ignore. They were there to discuss the situation with OZ now that the organization had revealed themselves to the rest of the world with those last attacks. Many of them were afraid the small attacks would quickly escalate into something more, even a war to rival the Eve Wars or the coup d'état by Mariemaia. The others weren't surprised when Une informed them that the President of the E.S.U.N. had given his support to the Gundams considering the close father-daughter like relationship he had with Darlian who in turn held a great amount of respect and gratitude for the Gundam pilots. What was proving problematic and becoming the main point of discussion was the discovery that the recent attack on the base in North America was led by WingZERO.

"How can we stay calm when we know that OZ is out there ready to attack at any moment?!" an overweight man from a country to the north shouted from his seat. "And what are we going to do about the Gundam that's turned against us? I mean, if that one is now on the OZ's side then who's to say the rest of them aren't as well?!"

"You know as well as the rest of us that those Gundam pilots would never do that!" another representative wearing glasses shouted from the far corner of the conference table. "The reports we received from that military base confirmed that WingZERO also attacked the other Gundams and that those Gundams successfully protected the base."

"It was probably a trick they came up with to gain our trust and support so they could undermine us from within," the fat man stated as he leaned on the table.

"That's ridiculous!" a middle aged woman exclaimed from the seat next to the man with the glasses. "The Gundams and their pilots have always been on the side of the people and have always done all they can to ensure their safety. We have seen enough of it in the past to know the truth behind their actions! They fight for the people not OZ or any other organization and you know it."

"Things change," the rotund representative started, "as do people. We can't always expect the Gundam pilots to have the same convictions now as they did in the past. I still say we shouldn't trust those pilots fully." That earned him a glare from Noin who stood in one of the corners of the conference room, observing the meeting with intense interest.

"They just wouldn't do that," the woman stated once again with renewed determination.

"Then how do you explain WingZERO?" a short and stout man from the opposite end inquired as he tilted his head to the side.

"It was probably a plan devised by OZ to divide up loyalties," the man with the glasses stated as he began to calm down.

"I say we should try to make some sort of deal with OZ so we can avoid a war," the large man began again as he leaned back against his cushioned seat, crossing his arms against his chest.

"What guarantees do we have that OZ will respect and honor any agreements we would make with them?" Une began in a low and dangerous voice as her eyes narrowed on the overweight representative. "If they wanted to negotiate then they wouldn't have fired first without just provocation." Her expression remained unchanged as she waited for the other man's next statement.

"We have to do all we can to try and spare the people of Earth and the colonies from another war," the representative began, "they have had enough of it in the past and I don't think they can handle another one now." The fat man obviously cared about his country and its people despite his misplaced views. "I just don't want to see any more bloodshed; we have had too much of that already."

"Blood has already been spilled, representative," the Colonel stated coldly, never taking her eyes off the other, "all we can really do is make sure that we can keep it to a minimum. Now, before we adjourn this meeting I want to know how many of you will be siding with OZ? Just know that if you do so you will be going up against the Gundams; they will be your enemies, as will we in E.S.U.N." She scanned the room. "This is not a threat. I'm just stating the obvious should you choose OZ." The young woman looked about the room and saw that no one was raising their hands or making any other gestures indicating their agreement and took that as a good sign. "If you please, ladies and gentlemen, this meeting is adjourned. I wish you a safe trip back to your respective homes or lodgings."

Lady Une got up and slowly made her way towards the exit with Noin joining her as she reached it. The sound of moving chairs filled the room as the others followed suit and walked towards the door, following suit. Soon the entire area was empty of its previous occupants as the last of the diplomats filed out. The group walked down the halls of the Peacecraft mansion with its chief and agent in the lead. They passed a few halls when Une suddenly took a detour, gesturing towards a secretary to lead the others to the front door. The men and women said their farewells and continued onwards as Une and Noin still proceeded to walk towards a door. Upon opening it the two were instantly greeted by four Gundam pilots and an irate Zechs Marquise.

"Oi! How could you let that fat jerk say all those nasty things about us?!" Duo fumed upon seeing them. "I'm tempted, and I mean really tempted, to get into my Gundam and teach him a lesson about playing nicely with others, but I'm _**too**_ much of a nice guy to do that."

"I guess that means you heard everything that went on in the meeting," Noin commented, happy to be finally saying something after having stayed quiet for so long during the conference. She had only been there to make sure that Une was safe and protected.

"Zechs here even agrees with me," the Deathscythe Hell pilot turned to Tallgeese pilot and grinned evilly.

The older man glared in agreement before he closed his eyes and heaved out an exhausted sigh. "I would gladly do the same," he confessed then shook his head, "but Relena would never forgive me."

"Awww," Duo pouted returning his attention to Une. "Ok, then it'll just be me. I'll only chase him down with Deathscythe Hell but I promise not to hurt him… just give him a little scare, that's all. So?" There was a sadistic gleam in his eyes that made the others question his sanity.

"Any aggressions on your part, whatever they may happen to be, will just add fuel to the fire. That's something we really don't need right now," the Preventer chief stated as she slumped into a chair. "This situation with Heero puts us in quite the predicament. If they perceive that one of the heroes from the Eve Wars has decided to align themselves with OZ, other governments will take it as a sign of confidence that OZ is the power to follow."

Zechs clasped his hands beneath his chin gave Une a steely look. "What we really have to make sure of is that they don't get wind of Relena situation with OZ. If thinking how Yuy may be siding with them has gotten that group into such a panicked state, think of what would happen if they discover that Relena's been the one leading the attacks." He slammed his fist into the table, visibly frustrated.

"They're bound to find out sooner or later," Wufei said from his perch on the window sill, turning his head towards the others he continued on, "all we can really do is to try to find Yuy and Darlian and stop them before that happens or at least try to lessen the shock." He turned his gaze back to the outside, monitoring the diplomats and representatives as they got into their respective rides. He continued to watch them until they were completely out of sight.

* * *

The Japanese pilot looked over his flight suit for the third time, making sure no modifications had been made. He was lucky to have found it in one of the OZ lockers in the hangar. When everything had met his expectations he moved his right hand into the suit's hidden side pocket. After a few seconds of searching he found his prize and pulled out the object: WingZERO's detonator. He stared at the small device, thoughts running in his mind as to the object's significance. Unlatching a clasp he removed the protective glass casing that guarded the detonator's red button. The youth fingered the object thoughtfully in a seemingly possessive manner; glad that it had remained safe and undiscovered, otherwise he would have lost a very important option. _/If I self-detonate WingZERO then I can end everything right now... It would be more than enough to destroy this base and the war can end before any more people get killed... I can end everything, my life holds no real value... but... but then I would kill her as well... she's still here... the people still need her... I.../_ He shook away the last thought.

Shutting out all the thoughts swirling in his mind he stood there on the steel floor, quietly holding the detonator in his right hand. Letting out a soft sigh he replaced the glass casing and put the device back into his flight suit's pocket. _/Not today I guess.../_ He looked to where the Gundams stood and smirked as he began to make his way towards the towering beasts. It was getting late and he had to get out of that base as soon as possible if he was going to get the information he had 'acquired' to the Preventers and the scientists on L1. He stopped for a while and looked into WingZERO's ever-emotionless face as if trying to make a connection with it before making his way once more to the platform elevator. He carefully put on his helmet, sliding the visor in place, hiding his face.

As he reached the machine he got on and pressed one of its switches causing the contraption to groan slightly before it began to make its way up. Heero took that time to lean back against its railing to rest; short though it may have been. After a few minutes the platform reached the top of the metal walkway as the youth proceeded to jump off of it. The sounds of his footsteps on the walkway echoed through the empty hangar until he finally came upon his WingZERO. The Japanese pilot ran his right hand over the smooth surface of the Gundam's cockpit door until he found the switch. The door made a slight hissing noise as it opened but its pilot made no move to get inside. Heero froze in his position, his mind was debating whether or not he should leave or stay to make sure that everything was taken care of. _/Why?... all I need to do is go in and leave... that's all so what's holding me back?... Re-NO! It's __**not**__ her!/_

He jumped into the cockpit seat and strapped himself in. Pressing a button on his control console the cockpit door slid shut, protecting its pilot from the outside world. The young man closed his eyes momentarily as he turned on the Gundam, letting himself get reacquainted to the feel. _/I hope this works./_ The humming of the Gundam's engines seemed to soothe him as if it were welcoming him home. His hand moved to press itself against his chest and he smiled inwardly when he felt the flash drive he had obtained earlier. He opened his eyes again and they held nothing but determination and conviction, nothing was going to stop him now: nothing.

Maneuvering his Gundam with a level of skill that came to him as naturally as breathing, they walked over to the platform that would take the both of them away to the outside world. Freedom. It was so close that he swore he could taste it but it was accompanied by a strange feeling. It made his chest ache, and he longed to rid himself of it if he could. But this wasn't the time for it and he knew that it would jeopardize everything if it kept on running its course. Now was not the time for mistakes or second thoughts or feelings and emotions. He stepped onto the metal elevator and waited for the program to take effect. _/If I programmed it correctly, it should be activating itself right about... now./_ Subconsciously he patted himself on the back for the good work and relaxed, letting the elevator take them to the surface as its sound filled the hangar. Although it was fairly quiet compared to other elevators, the noise still made Heero uneasy and he looked around to make sure that no one had heard.

It was minutes before he could even make out the faint moonlight that began to pour from the heavens. He looked up and saw the dark endless night, sprinkled with clusters of stars, greeting him with its familiar silence. It would be awhile before he was going to be completely out of the dark tunnel and he waited with unequaled patience. As soon as he was only a few meters away from the surface he fired up his thrusters and boosters and flew off into the inviting darkness leaving behind the pains of his heart.

* * *

"!" The girl's eyes shot open as she awoke from her light slumber. She lifted her body from the bed and began searching desperately around the room. What was it that had jarred her awake? What was that strange feeling she'd experience only a few moments ago? It was a nagging that told her something was missing; something that was important. In one swift action she pulled herself up from the bed to sit on the edge of the mattress. The girl looked into the dark room, thinking that maybe something would make itself known if she just stared hard and long enough. She wouldn't sleep now; she couldn't sleep, not until she had discovered what had happened.

* * *

The Japanese pilot made his way through the terrain, flying at an incredible speed, though careful to keep himself hidden away from any enemies that may be lurking nearby. The night was all too welcoming. His gaze was hard as he tried to concentrate on his surroundings yet found it difficult and opted to focus on the upcoming plans. He would first go to Preventer Headquarters to drop off a copy of the information, hoping Sally and the others would be able to do something with it. He would then proceed to L1 to meet with the old men to seek their assistance with a few matters. Speaking of those geezers he reached out his left hand and pressed a button.

The image of Doctor J appeared; the aged scientist's face looked surprised before it turned into a slow smile. "It's been awhile, Heero. How are you? I take it you've just finished a mission." His old eyes held an amount of relief that Heero failed to detect.

"I've been to OZ's main base," the Japanese pilot stated in his familiar cold and monotone voice, "and I have obtained data that needs to be looked at immediately."

"OZ, huh?" the aging man mused thoughtfully before he was pushed aside by another man sporting a mushroom haircut and a large nose.

"What kind of data did you acquire?" he promptly asked, not bothering with greetings.

"They're on the Seele units and Operation ZERO," the Japanese pilot replied coldly, "I'm on my way to Preventer Headquarters to drop off a copy then I'll be heading off to L1. I need you to make a few modifications to WingZERO."

"What kind of modifications?" the Deathscythe engineer inquired narrowing his eyes at the young man.

"I'm sending it to you right now," Heero said as he pressed a button on his Gundam's computer.

Their faces were deep in concentration as they scrolled down the lengthy data given to them on the screen but were soon contorted into a look of surprise as they got down further and further. Professor G's head popped up suddenly with a questioning look. "Is this correct?" he asked with an accusing glare.

"This is very interesting, Heero. Care to tell us why you would need this?" the older man with snow-white hair inquired with a smile, opening and clicking his robotic hand as he spoke.

Heero returned the other's glare. "That's my business. Just be ready to make those adjustments once I get to L1."

"Is it even possible though? WingZERO might not have enough room to accommodate such alterations," Doctor J spoke up in a more reasoning manner.

"Hn," the young pilot began, "I've already checked over the data three times. The numbers I've come up with will work. They won't compromise WingZERO's internals."

"Are you sure?" his mentor asked again.

"Yes," the youth responded in a tired but firm voice.

"Why do you need these?" Professor G asked again in a much harsher tone.

Heero replied by reaching over and turning off his communication to the lab, smiling a bit to himself when he did so. Explaining things now wouldn't do much good; he would have plenty of time for that once he reached L1. It had to work. It could be the deciding factor in the final battle yet to come. The wheels had already been set in motion and there was no turning back now. He knew that if OZ wanted to defeat the Gundams then she would have no choice but to use it… then again OZ had the numbers and they didn't. He also realized that if he was going to defeat her then he would have to utilize the same system but he couldn't guarantee how he would handle it. But if all went according to how he had planned it then the people would have their Foreign Minister back and he could disappear into the shadows once more. However, he wasn't sure if that was what he desired now, especially after all that had happened. Focusing back on the mission at hand he concentrated on piloting his Gundam, staring at the screen with unrivaled determination. Time was running out, and he couldn't waste another second.

After about half an hour of flying, Heero looked around his cockpit once more, checking the monitors and radar to see if anyone from OZ was following him. His gaze fell on the fuel gauge and noticed that it was starting to run low. His options were to either hurry it up and risk getting there on nothing but fumes or make a stop somewhere and contact the others. Not wanting to have them tease him about asking for help he decided to hurry up.

"Hello!?" an urgent female voice shouted over his com-link, "WingZERO! This is OZ second division mobile suit squad!" The feminine voice sounded a bit familiar but that familiarity was lost to the danger of the situation and the transmission static.

Not wanting to lose the transmission or waste any more fuel, Heero made to land in a nearby evergreen forest. Making sure the Gundam was well hidden behind the towering trees and thick brush, he became quiet and he waited for what the voice would say next.

"We need your assistance!" The girl yelled again before more static interrupted her plea. "We are currently in battle with four Gundams. Two thirds of my squad has already been eliminated and there are only a few of us left. I'm sending the coordinates to you right now..." More static and interference. "Please, we need your help!" More static and the transmission went dead.

_/They must think that I'm her./_ He smirked at that thought. When the transmission didn't come back after a few minutes, he wondered if he should go or continue on this previous course. If OZ was in a fight with the Gundams they wouldn't last for much longer, Geminis or not. Then again, if the pilots were there he could give them the disks, and they could take it to Preventer Headquarters for him while he could refuel and leave directly for L1. With his mind made up he started up his engines and boosters and began to fly to the coordinates sent to him minutes earlier. It didn't take him long to see the destruction off in the distance. The area looked to be a military base covered with fire and smoke; the majority of the buildings had already been destroyed.

Firing up his thrusters, he began his slow descent onto the concrete ground. It was worse than what he had seen in the distance; nearly everything had been destroyed and there wasn't a sign of life anywhere. He turned the Gundam's head to the sides to check for the enemy, reaching out to pull forth his beam sabre as he did so. A bright light appeared as he activated the weapon. Artillery fire was heard to his left and he made his way in that direction, careful to prevent his detection. When he reached the area he saw two of the Geminis being backed into a crumbling wall by Altron, Heavyarms, and Sandrock. Heero decided not to make his presence known just yet and slowly walked in the direction of the cornered mobile suits.

*CRASH*

Before he could even take two steps he was suddenly tackled to the ground by a very large and very heavy object. He pivoted WingZERO's head to the side to see who it was, sure that it was another OZ mobile suit, but instead saw the familiar head of Deathscythe. _/Duo?! Dammit! They must think that I'm Rei!/_ He quickly maneuvered his Gundam and easily dislodged himself from the other mobile suit. In a flash he was up again but was met by Altron who had decided to disengage from the battle with the inferior suits. Before Heero knew what was happening Altron had extended its Dragon Fang and knocked the beam sabre out of WingZERO's hand. Angry, the Japanese pilot was about to strike out at the other but a sudden force rammed into his side, knocking WingZERO face first onto the ground once more. He looked up and saw Heavyarms looming above.

He knew the situation would only get worse if he let this misunderstanding continue. He attempted to open up his com-link and switch to their frequency when he notice that the OZ mobile suits, previously near the wall, were now making their way towards them. One brought up their gun and aimed it in their direction. He had little time to wonder why they would risk firing on their comrade in order to get at the other Gundam. Realizing he wouldn't be able to move out of the way fast enough he closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact.

He heard two shots being fired. "Huh?" Heero questioned as his eyes shot open to see what had just happened. He looked around and saw that WingZERO's hands were now covered with a strange white substance. It was apparently sticky for when he tried to move his Gundam's hands he found he couldn't. It was _**very**_ sticky when he failed after a second attempt. All of a sudden there was a strange weight on top of his Gundam pushing WingZERO more forcefully onto the ground. _/Shit! What the __**HELL**__ is going on here? Is this a trick by OZ? Did they already discover what I'd done?/_ Heero tried hard to free himself from the weight but it was useless. Deciding that there were no other options left to him he pulled out the detonator from the pocket of his flight suit. _/I refuse to hand WingZERO back to them!... Good-bye Relena... Huh?/_

It wasn't working. He was still there and alive to boot. The youth was sure he would have been blown to pieces by now. _/What the __**HELL**__ is going on?!/_ Turning his Gundam's head to the side he saw dark wings framed by the bright moon and night sky. "_**Duo**_," Heero seethed through clenched teeth as thoughts of killing the braided baka filled his mind. Duo had just de-activated WingZERO's self-detonation system. _/I'll kill you for that!/_ When he felt the other's weight shifting off his own Gundam he made his move. In one swift motion Heero unfurled the Gundam's wings throwing Deathscythe Hell across the grounds. Not wanting to waste the wonderful opportunity given to him he charged up his thrusters and boosters to see if that would help in setting him free.

After a few moments he managed to pry loose his hand and he reached to get at his spare beam sabre. However, before he could get to it Heavyarms' robotic hand grabbed his and slammed it to the ground, causing WingZERO to fall on its back. Heero looked up and saw the other OZ mobile suit walking in his direction, weapon drawn, and he cursed silently under his breath. His mind raced, trying to assess this new situation. Without warning it fired and WingZERO was hit again with the unknown substance which now had the Gundam's arm pinned once more to the ground. It fired again and WingZERO's legs were rendered immobile.

"What the-?" the engine noises had died down and the screens in the cockpit went blank. He turned to look at the fuel gauge and saw that it was disappointingly low, not enough to support the major functions of battle and flight. He cursed again under his breath. Things weren't looking too good and he couldn't self-detonate WingZERO.

His eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Sandrock approach with its Heat Shotels in hand. The others followed suit, like a flock of vultures about to descend on a wounded prey. The majestic Gundam stopped when it reached the fallen mobile suit and raised its weapons high into the air. They glowed a dangerous red and in one quick swipe sliced at WingZERO's cockpit door. The attack wasn't hard enough to cut directly through the Gundanium but it was enough to leave a huge scar. Something akin to panic flooded the usually stoic youth as his mind worked again to see if he could free himself. Sandrock lifted its arms into the air once more before it brought it down again, tearing through the Gundanium. It repeated its action again and readied itself for another strike. Before he could finish the task, Heero, left with one last option, activated the only thing still functional under his present circumstances.

* * *

"**I'LL KILL YOU ALL!**" Then silence.

"Shit!" Duo yelled, surprised, and brought his Gundam to a dead stop, his hands covering his ears as he felt the impact of that statement through his com-link. "What did he just say?!"

"Duo!" Quatre's familiar soft but frantic voice called out to the Deathscythe Hell pilot. "Did you hear what I just heard?" He lowered his Heat Shotels.

"Who didn't hear?!" the American retorted, "That was loud enough to wake the dead… on Earth _**and**_ in space!"

"T-That was Yuy talking," Wufei gasped, shocked by the sudden and unexpected outburst. "Didn't Rei usually refrain from speaking unless spoken to?"

"Yeah!" the American agreed. "And she never once yelled at us. I mean, no matter how hard I tried to rile her up, she was always so stony faced and quiet. Even this wouldn't have been enough to make her crack..."

"That's right," Quatre interjected, "Sally did mention that it was highly likely that one of those devices' main function may be to keep the subject calm, no matter the situation..."

"Hmmm..." Duo began again as he eyed the fallen WingZERO. "Do you think Heero's defective?"

Wufei scanned the grounds and scowled in frustration. "**_What_** in the name of Nataku is going on?"

"Look over there," Trowa's voice interrupted them as he pointed Heavyarms' hand in the direction of the fallen WingZERO.

They watched as a small figure climbed out of the broken cockpit door. The night wind tousled his hair as he took off his helmet, placing it in the crook of his right arm. Deep Prussian blue eyes were held in a penetrating glare as the Japanese pilot stared at the group of mobile suits. They stood there in silence as obsidian night turned to morning gray, the sun not far behind.

-to be continued-

* * *

Author's Note: I changed the battle scene so that Deathscythe was the one to engage with WingZERO first. Reason being that it has stealth capabilities and could avoid detection long enough to mount a surprise attack. I also filled in some gaps that I hadn't realized were there.


	14. Denial

Disclaimer: You people already know that I don't own Gundam Wing.

Warnings: Mild language and violence

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 13: Denial

By: Vegie-kun

The lights in the hallway were faint, only enough to illuminate the area to a dim gray. Soft, steady footsteps were heard throughout the dark corridor as the outline of a slim figure appeared from the shadows. Blonde hair, softly highlighted by the artificial illumination, swayed back and forth as the young woman walked. She looked as if in a trance, her left hand tracing the wall; unaware of where she was headed yet knowing she had to get there. Dark red eyes framed by pale skin stared emotionlessly into the oblivion before her. It must have been at least an hour since she had woken up and began her currently unsuccessful search for whatever it was that bought her out of her dreamless slumber. Since then she had been wandering through the labyrinth that was the OZ base, chasing something only she knew existed. Without warning she stopped before a large door, instincts telling her that there was something she should see within that compound. Eyes still fixated on the empty corridor before her she moved her hand to press in the code that would allow her entry. The metal barrier slid open and a gust of air greeted her.

"..." Something was wrong; though there were immediate visible signs, she knew it from the feeling tugging annoyingly at her mind. Slowly, the girl turned around and entered the vast hanger. The smell of motor oil and grease and exhaust still lingered in the air. _/He was here... Hn./_ With that thought in mind she began to survey her surroundings; spotting the bare space next to the Neo Epyon she confirmed his departure. Unsurprisingly she remained unfazed by the whole ordeal, her expression unchanged; keeping calm through any ordeal was something they made sure to ingrain into her. Not even bothering to go and inform the others, the young woman kept on walking towards the back until she was at the platform leading to the steel walkway above her. Every movement was made subconsciously, her mind still seemingly not her own.

When the platform came to a halt the blonde stepped off. She took a few seconds to look around, checking to see if anything else was amiss. Drawing in a quiet breath she stalked towards the menacing blood red monster that slept at the end. Her eyes locked with its eyes and she slowly closed the gap between them. _/It's been too long.../_ The corners of her pale lips curved upwards into an uncharacteristically dark smile, unknown thoughts floating through her mind. She stopped abruptly before the red beast and held her position, seeming to challenge its will and authority. Her hands ran over the smooth Gundanium, mimicking the earlier motions of another person, and she pressed the switch to open the cockpit. The slim blonde quickly jumped into the seat not bothering to strap herself in as she sealed herself inside the compartment.

The soft hum of the engines filled her ears making her feel comfortable and uneasy at the same time. _/Epyon?/_ Their was a strange unfamiliarity that was coursing through her that she couldn't explain. The girl took a few moments and reorganized her wayward emotions, her face displaying nothing but determination as she set her gaze on the platform connecting to the upper world. _/You cannot get away from me so easily... no one can./_ Neo Epyon's feet pounded on the steel floor in a uniform pace as they made their way across the deserted hangar. When the two reached their destination they proceeded to get on but before the platform could lift them up, her ears picked up the sound of a sliding door as it filled the vast, open space.

"Get out of there, Rei," came the firm command.

The Gundam froze but remained standing on the platform in a rather defiant manner as it stared at the small figure below it. The General witnessed this rather odd behavior and his eyes hardened. Never before had she failed to act immediately on an issued order, especially one given by him. "Now." The command was even firmer and left no room for arguing. This time the girl did not disobey as she proceeded to maneuver the Gundam off the platform. After waiting a few seconds the man saw the cockpit door open before the girl jumped down, landing on one knee next to him. The red-eyed pilot stood tall and met her superior's unwavering gaze with one of her own.

"Just what did you think you were doing?" the General asked her sternly.

"Going after the enemy," she replied in her cold voice, her eyes never leaving his.

"The Gundam pilot?" the man looked confused. "He already escaped days ago."

"Incorrect," the girl briskly responded, "He has just recently left the facility. WingZERO is missing and the room still holds traces of his presence."

That statement stunned the blue-eyed man. Quickly scanning the room he confirmed her answer to be true. He cursed under his breath and tried to compose himself as best he could before turning around to face the young pilot. He met her strange eyes and a sigh escaped him before he was able to catch it. "That doesn't matter," he finally managed, "you're too important to lose. We can't afford to have anything happen to you at this stage in the game. Do you understand?" He waited until he saw some form of recognition in her eyes before continuing. "Rei, you are the only one here who can control the ZERO system and those who can control the ZERO system control the fate of the war."

"I'm an invaluable asset," it was a simple statement but one that seemed to strike a strange cord in the man before her as his stoic face faltered slightly.

"Training will commence at 0600 hours; you know the drill. Get some rest before then," his voice sounded weary when he finished, his expression reflected the same thing. Closing his eyes to momentarily sort out some thoughts he opened them again and watched quietly as the girl indifferently left his presence, making her way to and exiting through the metal door. His shoulders slumped once he was left alone; no longer having to keep the form of a stiff general for the moment. _/An invaluable asset, yes... but much more as well. I wish those Seele units would allow you to see just how valuable your life is... that neither side is willing to lose you, but then you wouldn't be Rei anymore... and so you would be of no use to us. Once this is over, we will free you of your duties, I will see to that... I never thought that this would be the way that we would achieve our goals... did you, Anna?/ _Silence fell and then the automated lights turned off, leaving him in total darkness.

* * *

The moment was tense and silence prevailed despite the thoughts and statements screaming to be let out. No, he wouldn't allow it, not now, not after what had happened. All that could be heard was the biting winter wind as it hissed through the sparsely strewn trees, stirring the last few remaining leaves and making them dance. The tension was building by the minute and the others fidgeted in distress and embarrassment; that was exactly how he wanted it. He would have given a sadistic smile but that would've broken the mood he'd so painstakingly tried to cultivate. No, they wouldn't be let off so easily. The others knew he was using all the strength he possessed to control himself… to keep the anger at bay. For that reason alone they decided to stay quiet and hold their tongues. Finally satisfied that he had caused them some discomfort with the waiting they'd undergone, he began.

"Know that the only reason all of you are _**still**_ alive is because you _**may**_ still prove useful against OZ." He spat out coldly. "If that wasn't the case then I wouldn't have hesitated in taking all of your lives for that stunt you pulled on me," the voice was restrained but the underlying threat was clear to the other four. He paused for a brief second and shifted his gaze to the fallen mobile suit. "You may as well have killed me since my Gundam will be out of commission until it's repaired which means that _**I**_ won't be able to do anything until it's repaired. The explanation better be _**damned**_ good if you value your lives." He ended with his trademark death glare, waiting for whatever excuse they were going to give for damaging _**HIS**_ WingZERO and for making him go through such an ordeal. _/Oh, it better be a good one. Telling me they thought that I was Rei won't be good enough for me to let them leave... alive./_

The four youths standing before the Japanese appeared to be very nervous... at least the American and the Arabian anyways. Silently communicating with their eyes, head flicks and hand gestures they soon unanimously nominated the rather unfortunate Duo for the task at hand. The usually jovial pilot hesitantly stepped forward trying to avoid the cold Prussian blue glare. "Well... ya see..." Duo began as his right hand scratched the back of his head as he fought to find his voice and the right words to say under the withering glare of his angry friend, "we thought..."

"Hn."

"We thought that if we captured you then we could do something to deprogram you," he promptly finished, eager to get away from the maddening look in his comrade's eyes.

"You thought that I was working for them?" he seethed; his anger was beginning to resurface once more much to the chagrin of the other four.

Quatre immediately waved his hands in front of him. "Not of your own free will," he quickly assured him though equally afraid of what the suicidal youth would do.

"From what they were able to do to Relena we assumed they would be able to do the same to you," Trowa calmly explained in his steady voice.

Crossing him arms over his chest he looked from one person to another. "This was Trowa's plan, wasn't it?" the dark haired youth queried lifting an eyebrow in the taller pilot's direction. The others nodded and there was silence once more as WingZERO's pilot closed his eyes in quiet contemplation. Minutes passed and Wufei was visibly becoming impatient but a look from Trowa told him that this was not the time to start a fight. The Chinese youth held back his annoyance waiting for the other to respond. After what seemed to be an eternity the WingZERO pilot finally broke the silence with a simple question. "How?"

As if on cue Trowa spoke up. "WingZERO attacked a desert base in North America about a week ago," he paused when Heero nodded his head in acknowledgement, "and we assumed that OZ had gotten control of you since you failed to report in a few days before the attack."

"Since then we've been trying to come up with a plan to safely take you into our custody," Quatre chimed in.

"The idea was to render WingZERO's self-detonation system completely inoperable so that we could eliminate the possibility of you killing yourself and taking the rest of us with you," Trowa stated in his level tone.

"You don't know how hard we trained in order to make sure that didn't happen," Duo groaned from his position next to Quatre.

"Those two Geminis," Heero motioned his head in the direction of the mobile suits left in the back, "seem different than what I saw at their base."

"Oi, did you say Geminis?" Duo questioned with wide eyes but was ignored by the others.

"We built those specifically for this mission," the tall pilot answered. "We designed them to look like the OZ mobile suits but we made them lighter and faster so they could keep up with WingZERO." He noticed Heero eyeing the remaining fallen suits and quickly moved on to address them. "The other suits on the ground were the ones we took out during that attack on the North American base. They proved useful in making this base 'assault' look more convincing."

"How did you know my location?"

"The satellites picked you up," Wufei stated flatly. "We had those things programmed to lock onto WingZERO's signal as soon as it appeared again." The tension had lessened slightly but none of them hoped for any sort of miracle.

"And you were able to set all this up in that amount of time?"

"We had everything loaded onto carriers beforehand, ready to set up should you decide to show yourself," the Chinese man smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, proud of their accomplishment. "When we confirmed the location you were headed to we just flew to an area near it. It was pure luck that this abandoned base was here so we decided to make use of it."

"Who's in there?" Dark, dangerous, Prussian blue eyes indicated the two mobile suits whose pilots were still inside their cockpits.

"Well, I guess you're going to find out sooner or later," Duo remarked as he rubbed the back of his head. "Oi, you two! You can come out now! I don't think Heero's gonna keep his composure for much longer and we'll need you if he decides to go crazy on us!" He screamed to the towering metal monsters then crossed his arms over his chest and waited for a response.

The cockpit doors slowly hissed as the locks were released. The two figures were still hidden in the darkness of the small compartments as they made their move to get out. Heero's eyebrows perked up when he saw the forms slipping out before they narrowed in annoyance.

"Ack! I thought I'd never get out of there," the perky German girl remarked as she lowered herself onto the ground with the help of the suit's cable line. "It's been so long. I almost forgot how stuffy those things can get. So Duo... um, is he mad at us?" She turned to face her love and was rewarded with a sympathetic look. The girl gulped as she slowly maneuvered her head to acknowledge the angry pilot; jumping back at the glower she was given.

"Don't worry, Miss Schbeiker," the mature, feminine voice belonging to Lady Une reassured her as she joined them, "I'm sure he understands why we used such unconventional means to detain him. It's not our fault for incorrectly assuming that he was working for OZ considering he failed to inform us of his plans before he left a week ago." She gave Heero a reprimanding look. "Hmm..." The older woman redirected her gaze towards the Gemini and let out a sigh. "I never thought I'd be piloting a mobile suit again... not since..." Her eyes saddened as she trailed off, traces of tears forming at the corners of those eyes. She quickly wiped them away before anyone could take notice and straightened up, ready to properly address the young man before her.

"Heero Yuy," she began in a professional tone, "It's good to see you came out of that unscathed. We tried our best not to cause you any serious or unnecessary harm. I hope you can forgive us."

"Hn. Is there an extra carrier that can take WingZERO back to base?" He asked curtly.

"We can load WingZERO into one of the carriers that housed the spare mobile suits," the Chief Preventer replied. "I guess we should get started on the repairs as soon as possible."

The pilot shook his head. "Don't worry about the repairs, I'm having them done on L1," Heero informed her and saw the confused looks on the other's faces and quickly addressed their silent questions, "I have to give the Gundam engineers some things to look at. Just tell those people back at headquarters to have something ready to take me into space by the time we get there."

* * *

The tall General stood there in the small observation room, currently preoccupied with the things taking place in the training room adjoining it. His stern gaze was on the lithe form of the blonde soldier who was currently preoccupied with her daily exercises. She was going over the procedures she was to take for various scenarios that would come about in battle and he was paying close attention to every one of her responses.

"Your little doll seems to be in good shape," a deep, calm, and sly voice remarked.

Whitenburg didn't even need to turn his head to know who that voice belonged to. "What are you doing here, Dereks?" he asked in a cold and impatient tone.

The Captain chuckled at the seemingly cold manner in which his old friend was treating him. "Just observing," was the cool reply as the younger man moved to stand next to the General in front of the one-way mirror. "I still can't believe that the girl in there is the same Foreign Minister Darlian." He gave another low chuckle and shook his head in mock disbelief before focusing back on the girl's training.

"She's so very different from the girl she used to be... Aside from the fact that she's obviously much stronger... She's also more assertive... like she doesn't even hesitate in anything she does... so mechanical. Much more confident too... don't you think so?" He turned to face the older man, his left hand absently brushing away stray locks of reddish blond hair out of his eyes.

The dark haired man knew the other was trying to goad him and he wanted to repay the favor. "Are you still disappointed that she was chosen to pilot the Neo Epyon?" Whitenburg queried a little smugly. He smiled inwardly when he sensed that his words had touched a nerve. "I don't know why you're complaining, you get to pilot an upgraded Gemini II. In my opinion they're almost the same, just a fraction slower and a touch less powerful. I mean the only real difference is the presence of the ZERO system." He looked into the other's brown eyes and saw cold fire that almost burned with hatred. "Captain Dereks, I am not saying that you aren't a skilled pilot. In fact, you rank among the top here and you're still so young. Pilots with your skill and talent don't come by very often and I am glad to have you among us. So why do you still hold a grudge?" His voice became stern; he wasn't going to let the other go without a reasonable explanation.

His old friend was quick to reply. "You insult us, _General_. Or more correctly, you insult _me_. You have no idea how humiliating it is to be upstaged by a little girl," the Captain's eyes hardened as he made his case before his superior. "I trained for years hoping to pilot a machine as remarkable as the Neo Epyon. You can't even begin to imagine my dissatisfaction when that honor was given to someone who hadn't even set foot in a mobile suit before." He spat out dispassionately. "Once I piloted the Neo Epyon my name was to be among the ranks of Zechs Merquise and Treize Khushrenada and the Gundam pilots... but instead I am to remain as an anonymous pilot just like the others. If you think that I'm just a bit upset then you're understating things." Having said his piece he firmly clenched his jaw, his lips thinning into a firm line. Dereks seemed to challenge his commanding officer in a way that bordered on childishness.

Whitenburg gave a tired laugh that held a note of amusement. He breathed a heavy sigh and turned his head to the training room for a second before fixing his sights on the younger man. "If you consider my actions as a means of insulting you then know that I am also insulting myself. You're a good pilot; I don't doubt that, but I am far better than you. For starters," he began, bringing up a hand to tap at his right temple, "my mind is more focused than yours and I am not as quick to anger as you are. Even with all that I still don't consider myself capable enough to handle the Neo Epyon."

"But the pilot you have right now is nothing more than a doll! A puppet you control with the slightest tug of the strings you've attached to her," the young Captain furiously blurted. "She's little more than a robot you created with the technology you've acquired through the years, but you know what they say about technology, don't you? They all break down at some point or another. The more advanced the technology the more unreliable it is in times of great need and I agree... especially considering what happened a few days ago... I knew the Seele units weren't a hundred percent effective." The corners of his mouth curved up slightly when he saw the other man's stance falter.

"How did you find out about that? The information was to remain classified." Their conversation wasn't amusing anymore, not after that comment was thrown in.

"Things get around... you know what it's like," he replied nonchalantly, his shoulders shrugging, feigning innocence. "The more important question is whether or not those Seele units can be relied on. What are you going to do if those things malfunction again?"

"They won't," his icy blue eyes fired up and venom laced his voice. "She will remain... intact until the time comes when we regain control over the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. What I'm more concerned with..." his eyes narrowed menacingly, "is your loyalty."

Dereks was serious as well, there was no longer any hatred in his eyes, just agreement. "Don't worry about where I stand because I stand with OZ and I always will. Despite all the wrongs that have been wrought against me I will continue to support it against any and all obstacles. However, I can't say the same thing for that little marionette of yours. She's not a part of OZ and never will be, regardless of the fact that she's taking orders from you." He saluted, then did an about-face and made his way towards the door. The voice of the older man stopped him in mid-track.

"You're still a bit touchy when it comes to that, huh?" Whitenburg mused.

"Just make sure she stays out of my way and things will be fine," Dereks snapped back. With all that said he continued on his way out of the room.

The General stared at his retreating form until it disappeared from his view. _/You need more discipline, Dereks. You're a liability when you act that way, and liabilities are something I don't need right now. For your sake you had better not interfere with my plans./_ His attention shifted back to the room in front of him and he observed the activities that went on inside. _/She won't falter, __I'm sure of it. We rechecked the units and I'm positive nothing will go wrong.../_ He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair._ /But no matter how well the Seele units work they still can't block out some of your personality. Somehow you still manage to let a part of yourself show through the barriers of the device... Maybe it's because of your dedication to your misguided vision of the future of this world that keeps you from being completely consumed by the Seele units.../_ He chuckled softly to himself._ /We certainly picked a good candidate for the job, but I wonder... was that malfunction a direct result of the damaged circuit or could that pilot have something more to do with it than the doctors say... She may be a doll to you, Dereks, but she can do things that you never will hope to accomplish in your life. Besides... a doll may be a doll but it still serves a purpose./_

He stepped forward and pressed a button on the intercom attached to the wall. "Rei, I want you to go through training routine number 16." His hand left the button though remained hesitantly close before it pressed the button once again. "You also seem to be slightly off on your reaction time, try to fix that."

"Acknowledged."

* * *

Heero was seated in the back of the plane with the other pilots and Hilde. Even as they were currently en route to Preventer Headquarters, the others couldn't wait until their arrival to start bombarding the Japanese youth with questions. Though obviously annoyed, Heero did his best to answer them without losing his composure or temper. That task proved quite taxing considering the fact that Duo was the one asking the majority of the questions.

"C'mon, Heero, buddy, what happened when you were there?" Seated across from the WingZERO pilot and lounging comfortably with an arm draped around Hilde's shoulders, he continued his friendly interrogation.

He leveled a withering glare at the American. "I was beaten," he replied emotionlessly, revealing nothing of his true feelings.

"I could already tell from the condition of your arms and legs," Duo shot back noting the bruises that adorned the grim young man. Heero, having discarded his flight suit before he got onboard, wasn't surprised when the others gasped at the sight that greeted them. Though the fresh cuts and bruises scattered on his arms came from the recent battle with the Gundams, there were still many more dark spots, indicative of older bruising. "But I imagine that it wasn't something you couldn't handle since you're used to that already. Is there anything else though?"

"Hn... The girl's there." The others to jump from their seats and got closer to hear the details.

"Are you absolutely certain of that?" Quatre's anxious voice joined the conversation.

His thoughts went back to those few encounters with 'Rei' during his time within OZ and his jaw clenched at the memory. "She's the one who's been piloting WingZERO for the past few days," He confirmed coldly, "as well as the designated pilot of the Neo Epyon... she's good at it too." Though his tone held little emotion he was still able to convey the seriousness of the situation.

If they hadn't really been listening before, everyone on the plane now gave Heero their undivided attention. "Oi! Wait a minute! Did you just say Neo Epyon?!" The American practically jumped out of his seat, shocked by the revelation. "Don't tell me that OZ built another one of those monsters!"

He met Duo's gaze head on and the other felt a chill run down his spine. "They did and they made it even better." He moved to retrieve something from his pant pocket. "I have the data on that, her training, the Seele units as well as the mobile suits they're using. Here's the flash drive I downloaded the information onto," he said as he threw the small objects into Duo's lap. "Show Sally the ones on the Seele units. She might be able to figure out something about them."

"Soul?" Hilde interjected questioningly as the others turned to regard her with raised eyebrows. "Seele," she began slowly. "means 'soul' in German."

"Why would they name their device that?" Duo asked only to receive a shrug in return from the girl.

Quatre's brows furrowed as he digested the information. "It might be in reference to the new persona they've implanted in Relena." He offered uncertainly.

"Speaking of which… how is Darlian by the way?" Wufei asked, surprising a few of them with his concerned inquiry of the captive girl. "What?" The Chinese asked, giving them an indignant frown. "I have to know so that I can report it to Zechs."

The image of her falling unconscious onto the floor flashed through his mind and he shook his head to dispel it. "She's fine."

They all looked at him, observing his reserved demeanor and noting how it detracted from his normal reserved demeanor. "Heero, what exactly happened back there?" Quatre spoke up again but only got silence in return. "We have to know so we can formulate a plan to get her back." The blond pressed on. "What are they doing to her? Is she being drugged? Just what are they putting her through?" The young Arab was getting quite anxious and his voice quavered with fear and worry. "Please Heero, you have to tell us."

Heero sighed and closed his eyes before opening them to regard the other pilot. "If you want to know what's happened to her in the nine and a half months that she's been missing it's on the flash drive. As for the past few days, nothing has happened. She's OZ's highest priority so they're hesitant in letting anything happen to her," he broke off for a second to look at the floor before he resumed. "Apparently, she's the only one there that can control the ZERO system."

"Darlian?!" Wufei exclaimed indignantly, his pride having taken a blow. Heero nodded and the Chinese youth's question was answered.

"If that's true then we may have more problems than originally predicted," Trowa calmly stated from his seat next to Wufei.

"How large is their army?" Hilde asked curiously.

"Like I said, everything you need to know is on that flash drive. You can see for all that for yourselves, so leave me alone and let me sleep. I'll be leaving for L1 as soon as we can load WingZERO onto a shuttle," the pilot closed his eyes and leaned back into his seat. He was tired and his body sorely ached for relief, but his mind was the thing that needed the most soothing. As he drifted off things became increasingly incoherent, soon he was no longer able to hear the conversation that continued on without him.

"Poor guy," the German girl commented, "he's been through so much since this whole ordeal started." She regarded him sympathetically, though she couldn't help but wonder what Duo would have done if it had been her and not Relena that was captured and turned into a weapon.

"I know he won't admit it, but I think he cares more about what might happen to Relena than about stopping OZ," Duo said from his seat as he placed his hands behind his head for support.

"Do you think it's wise to say such things out loud?" Altron's pilot warned, tilting his head at Heero's sleeping form.

"You mean Heero?" he turned his head to view the slumbering youth. "Nah, he's sleeping like a log. He may be the Perfect Soldier but even soldiers need their sleep once in a while. I guess we should be nice and let him rest until we reach headquarters."

The compartment fell silent as they allowed the hum of the engines to comfort the WingZERO pilot with its strange lullaby.

* * *

It was almost noon now and the activities in the training room were beginning to die down as Rei ceased her exercises in order to give the doctors time to record her data. She stood there next to the bars like an obedient child waiting to be told what to do. The morning exercises and routines would have had ordinary soldiers rebelling and threatening mutiny hours ago but she was different. She was programmed not to complain, only comply. Her body ached but she knew they wouldn't hear of it, at least not from her. However, there was something beyond even her control, and since she wasn't an omnipotent goddess, she had no say in the matter. Nature was stronger than will so she was left with no choice but to obey.

"Restroom," was all she had to muster for them to understand, they dismissed her with a wave of a hand.

Giving a slight nod the girl turned around and headed out of the room towards the lavatory. As she made her way along the corridor she silently noted that the base had become lively again and was now filled with scrambling soldiers. When she rounded the corner though, a heavy mass collided into her, pressing her against the steel wall. It was a body that loomed over her, one larger than her own and male. The man lowered his head close to her ear and greeted her.

"How's the little doll doing?" Captain Dereks sneered. "So they finally let you out for a breather, huh? Must be really difficult going through all that training, but I'm sure that you're handling everything they're dishing out at you." He pressed her further into the wall hoping to elicit a reaction. "So, what's it like in the Neo Epyon? I wouldn't know since you stole that opportunity from me."

"That's because I'm the better pilot," she responded curtly. That was all she needed to say; it was enough to cause the other pilot to fume. Her eyes met his for a brief instance and fire sparked between them; the challenge was issued before she maneuvered her body from under his. As if ignoring him, Rei calmly resumed her journey to the restroom down the hallway.

"Better pilot... but still a doll," the Captain commented to himself, "and dolls can be easily broken. Overstep your boundaries and you'll find yourself at the end of a Gemini's gun."

-to be continued-

* * *

Author's Note: I realized there were a lot of discrepancies in this chapter that needed to be addressed. Hopefully the changes I've made can clear up those inconsistencies. I also added a bit more dialogue to the conversation the Gundam pilots were having on the plane.


	15. The Final Hours

Disclaimer: Never in a million years will I own Gundam Wing.

Warnings: Mild language and violence

A.N: So far Relena is still Rei and Heero is back with the other pilots but has gone to L1 for WingZERO's repairs. He's also given them the flash drive that contains highly classified OZ data; that includes info on Operation ZERO, the Seele units, the Geminis, and Whitenburg. Also, a few conversations were altered from the original due to changed plot points.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 14: The Final Hours

By: Vegie-kun

*click* *click* *click*

The sound repeated itself numerous times, forming a rhythmic melody that droned throughout the room. "Oh... my," Sally breathed, eyes transfixed on the information filling her vision. "This is... amazing." There was a pause as Wufei leaned in closer to the monitor to see for himself what was so fascinating. "I would have never imagined that OZ would ever have the capability of creating something this complex… At first I was skeptical about this OZ having the ability to come up with such a concept considering the short amount of time they had after the original OZ disbanded… Because of that time constraint I always wondered how they were able to develop such a device."

"Yeah," her partner spoke in agreement. "None of us had any idea that OZ had something like this floating around in their R&D department during the time of the Alliance. I just can't believe we weren't able to find anything on it 'til Yuy was captured."

The older woman moved the mouse to click and explore the other files pertaining to the Seele units. Her mind so deeply absorbed in her work that she couldn't pull away… more like wouldn't, no matter what might come up later on. Never in her entire life had she seen anything so detailed, so advanced, so sickeningly effective; all contained within three small devices no bigger than the size of coins. _/If OZ is capable of developing such technologies, then what other things are within their grasp?/_

"So, just how do those things work exactly?" Her partner's stern voice broke her out of her reverie and she looked at him with a confused expression.

"Oh, that's right, the Seele units!" the woman exclaimed when the subject of his inquiry finally dawned on her.

"What else would I be talking about, onna?"

"Stop calling me that, Wufei," she warned him. "As you probably already know, those things are divided into three separate units that perform different functions, but all work together to create the person, more correctly, the soldier known as 'Rei'. The three are referred to as the mind, body, and soul unit, respectively."

* * *

The door to the sparsely furnished room slid open and the sound of steady footsteps resonated across the metal floor; a uniformed pace that held control and authority. Then it came to a halt.

"Rei," the deep voice addressed, "you're on call. We have another mission for you." The General wasn't one to make it a habit of coming to a soldier's private quarters to personally inform them of missions. Usually Rei wasn't an exception either, but lately he had been staying close to the girl. Maybe it was due to his feelings that this war was drawing to a close or because he felt that until it was actually over, her life was in danger… or maybe it was something else… something he desperately tried to forget. Whatever the reason it made him cautious of his surroundings and the people working there. "We just received word that the fourth division Gemini squad is having some difficulty in the Middle East. We're sending you to assist and collect data on what's happening there. You will leave in an hour so go and prepare."

"Acknowledged."

* * *

"Are the repairs done yet?" Heero's monotone voice jolted the scientists from their current tasks. He stood in the doorway and looked stoically at Master O, Professor G, and Doktor S.

"We're going as fast as we can, boy!" Professor G's annoyed voice boomed from behind WingZERO's cockpit. "Do you think it's easy to get rid of this stuff? How did you manage to let them do this to you anyways? I thought that old fool trained you better than that."

The young man looked ready to kill the engineer, but refrained from doing so because he needed his Gundam fixed as soon as possible. He opted for a short response instead. "I ran out of fuel." He turned and walked out of the hangar, making his way towards his temporary room. Looking at his arms and legs, he noted how well the bruises and cuts were healing very. _/I wonder if I'll be well enough to survive the next battle. My body is still aching from the last fight and I'm still feeling disoriented. This isn't the time to be either of those, but... dammit I have to snap out of this. If I don't, then we'll never be able to defeat OZ or get Relena back... I can't do this by myself. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to need help... but will it work? Can I guarantee that we'll be able to pull Relena out of this... alive?/_ After a short time he reached his destination and proceeded to open the door, ready to enter.

"Heero," his mentor's voice stopped him dead in his tracks, "WingZERO will be fully operational in another day… So, what will you do when you get it back?" There was a twinkle in his mechanical eyes but Heero ignored it and stepped inside his small sanctuary.

The lights weren't on inside, but he had little difficulty finding his way around the room. Navigating himself around the furniture with ease, Heero soon came upon a chair and sat down. At first he just sat there in relative silence, enjoying the quiet moment that would soon become few and far in between in a matter of days. Sighing heavily, he wearily lifted a hand and turned on the videophone. He punched in the numbers that were at the forefront of his mind and waited for the reply. A click announced that the other party had picked it up the call. "We need to talk."

* * *

"So why are they called the Seele units?" Wufei interrupted her train of thought.

"Well," she began a bit annoyed, "the reason they are called the Seele units, or soul units, is because they, in a way, restrict or take over, that aspect of a person. The unit labeled 'mind', the one on the left side of her head, is the part that creates and holds information about the soldier known as 'Rei'. It's basically a completely different persona programmed to replace Relena's personality while it's being suppressed. Well, to be more precise, it's more than just another personality; it's like they've created an actual person. The self-control, the discipline, the alertness, the cold calculating demeanor, the readiness to kill, the lack of empathy, even te fact that she's left-handed... that was," she paused to correct herself, "is 'Rei'. While that unit is active, everything that 'Rei' goes through, and all the knowledge she acquires, gets stored into the memory chip the unit houses instead of Relena's brain."

"So," the Chinese youth cut in again, "the time in the lab when Darlian came out of her trance and said that she didn't remember anything, she was telling the truth?"

"Seems that way."

"But," there was a look of confusion on the younger Preventer, "how did she turn back into 'Rei' then?"

"There's a failsafe mechanism installed in it that allows the unit to be deactivated for a few seconds when it's required for a mission. It's highly probable that it deactivated when she needed to gain our trust, but quickly re-started before we knew it," she answered as best she could.

"Is that all it does?" the young man continued to probe.

"In a way, but it also works with unit 2, the 'body' unit, to keep her... obedient and willing to follow orders," she decided to elaborate further on what she had just said. "Unit two, the one located at the base of her head, regulates the hormones and chemicals being used in her body by sending out electrical messages to various organs that control bodily functions. In a way, it has taken over as the master gland and now controls almost every chemical that goes through her. The 'mind' unit allows 'Rei' to become the dominant conscience while the 'body' unit signals chemical releases that make her more submissive to following commands as well as enabling her superior fighting capabilities during battles."

"And the last one?"

"I was getting to that," she snapped. "Unit 3, or the 'soul' unit, located on the right side of her head, is the one repressing Relena's memory. It works to prevent Relena from accessing any information that she holds about herself by creating a kind of shield. If 'Rei' tries to get at any of them, the device just sends signals to re-direct the attempt to 'Rei's' memory banks in unit one instead. In that way it creates an eternal loop that keeps Relena at bay. If that unit were to be damaged, like Heero mentioned had happened, there's the possibility of a memory backlash. That is to say that the memories stored directly in unit one will threaten to transfer into Relena's mind directly and vice versa, ultimately blurring the boundaries that define the two identities."

The youth was puzzled by what she had just disclosed to him. "Why the hell do they call it the 'soul' unit anyways? It doesn't make any sense."

"In a way it does, Wufei," Sally retorted. "A person is defined, more or less, by the experiences that he or she goes through. A person who is denied their past may not be able to get to their present or their future. By taking all that made up the person, you would leave behind an empty shell that has no inkling of the person they really are. They become something malleable, a vessel to be filled… a blank state. While memories aren't quite the same as souls, losing one or the other achieves the same effect. When combined with the other two units, the Seele system creates an artificial entity that has its origins inside of a computer."

The Chinese pilot shook his head. "That's just loathsome," he muttered to himself, pausing to let the information sink in. "Well, what about her red eyes? Were you able to find the cause for them?"

The older woman smiled a bit and moved the mouse to access another file. "It's not as difficult to understand how that happened once I saw the data. According to the information the doctors recorded during their testing of the units, they listed the red eyes as a side effect. The signals those devices give off cause an inordinate amount of chemicals to be released inside of her. The excess chemicals combine with her regular hormones to cause the discoloration of the eyes. If all three of the units, or at least the 'body' unit, were to be removed or if they were to stop functioning, then her eyes would eventually return to their original color."

"Is there a way to remove them... without harming Darlian?" Wufei asked as Sally turned to meet his gaze, surprised to see concern in those dark orbs.

The doctor softened her expression, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Sorry to disappoint you, Wufei, but there's nothing in here about it. My guess would be that only the people responsible for implanting those things on her know the way to take them off... If we're going to remove the Seele units, we have to get our hands on one of those doctors." Silence descended upon them, making them both uneasy. "So... how did that meeting with Wind go?" Sally queried, taking a sip of her coffee, her eyes still pinned to the computer monitor.

"Do you really have to ask?"

"It couldn't have been that bad," she began doubtfully, "was it?"

"For one thing, I'm just glad that he was away on a reconnaissance mission the day we launched the plan. If he had been there, instead of that Schbeiker girl, to hear Heero say that he left Relena behind... then I'd guarantee that we'd have something more imperative to worry about than OZ," he answered in an amused tone. "It took both Noin and myself to restrain him and prevent him from leaving the office to fly off to L1 to have a 'talk' with Yuy."

"Wish I could've seen that."

"Believe me when I say it was a good thing you didn't," he told her in a serious manner. "Zechs is more like Heero than he'd ever admit to, especially when it comes to things that involve Darlian."

"You can't blame them, Wufei," Sally began, "they both care a great deal for her. To them, she is their hope."

"... Maybe... Argh! What is taking Une so long? I need to make my report to her before I can leave," he snapped angrily.

"Will you calm down," the older woman chuckled lightly. "Colonel Une doesn't get many chances to spend time with Mariemaia nowadays. It hasn't been that long since the war ended, and they both still have a lot of healing to do. They are human after all, Wufei."

The youth suddenly became silent, contemplating what his partner had just said. "... Sally?"

"Hmm?"

"... Do you think we'll ever have peace?" His eyes betrayed the fear and hope he usually kept to himself.

"The future is open to many possibilities, Wufei," She reassured him, "and peace is one of those possibilities. If we all strive for it, then maybe we will attain it one day. You just have to stay strong and see it through to the end and never ever lose sight of your hopes and dreams," she finished, giving him a compassionate smile.

The door opened abruptly, breaking their silent understanding. Zechs walked in and the two looked up in surprise, his visit quite unexpected.

"What are you doing here, Wind?" Sally queried.

The tall man turned to her and answered. "I'm here to speak with Une, but her secretary said she was being detained at the moment. She wouldn't say anything more than that, and I thought you two might be able to tell me."

"She's just spending some quality time with Mariemaia," Sally informed, "but why do you have to talk to her?"

"I wanted to notify her of a recent conversation I had."

"A conversation? With who?" Wufei questioned.

"Heero Yuy."

Before the other two could say another word the door opened again and Lady Une's secretary entered and looked at Zechs. "Preventer Wind, Lady Une will see you now."

Without another word the man left the office, leaving them with stunned expressions on their faces. They sat there in disbelief before Wufei's expression darkened into a scowl. "Dammit! I was supposed to be next!"

* * *

As the man entered the room a small body brushed by his leg as it made its way out. His head shifted slightly and he caught sight of a crop of red hair before it disappeared around a corner. A small smile escaped his lips before he re-directed his attention to the woman behind the large desk.

"You wanted to speak to me about something, Zechs?" her professional and mature voice broke the ice.

"That's correct."

_*FLASHBACK*_

_Heero sat patiently in his chair as Zech's face popped on the screen. The older man's face changed from one ready to greet to one ready to kill. "We need to talk."_

_"What do you want, Yuy?" he sneered at the younger man. "After hearing about how you left Relena behind, I don't think there's anything left for us to talk about."_

_Heero's expression darkened, but he showed no signs of losing his poise. "... I'm sorry Zechs, but I had no other choice."_

_"No other choice?!" The angry Preventer was at an utter loss for words, but quickly found them a few seconds later. "Everyone has a choice, Yuy, and you chose to leave her behind! She trusted you, Yuy, and you-"_

_"And I will live up to that trust," Heero cut in. "She's a trained soldier now and more than capable of defending herself. If I had tried to take her with me, she would have put up a fight, and I guarantee you that one of us wouldn't have come out of it alive. Zechs, I promised that I wouldn't leave her, and I plan on keeping that promise. Will you listen to what I have to say?" He stared at the screen and awaited his answer. Zechs sighed heavily and nodded in agreement._

_"Good," the youth exclaimed before beginning. "I believe that it's time for us to set aside our differences… at least until we resolve this situation."_

_"Is that all you have to say?" That statement held more contempt than the man intended._

_He shook his head. "No. I am going to need your help, as well as that of the others, to release Relena from OZ's hold. From the data I gave you, you already know that OZ plans to launch an all-out attack on the Earth and colonies in four days," he paused to see that the Preventer had nodded in acknowledgement. "Their numbers are great, far greater than what five Gundams can handle. Quatre has already sent word to the Maganacs to ask for their assistance and they have agreed; however, that is not going to be enough. The Maganacs would give us more numbers, but their mobile suits are vastly inferior to the Geminis."_

_"What are you trying to say, Yuy?" Zechs wanted him to get to the point, feeling that the conversation was being stretched out longer than it had to be. A bored look was etched on his face and he did nothing to hide it._

_"I know that you still have it, Zechs," the simple statement caused the other man to react strangely. "I want you to take off its locks and use it to help us."_

_"… What makes you think I still have it?" Heero gave him a skeptical look. "Of course… you always did have your ways… it's not going to be easy though." He began, leaning back in his chair. "At the end of Mariemaia's coup d'état we informed the neighboring countries that we'd destroyed it, as a show of good faith. Even if the Preventers were an organization mobilized to maintain the peace, the idea of one group holding that kind of __firepower didn't sit well with them... Do you know exactly what you're asking us to do?" It wasn't exactly a 'no', but there was doubt. "Yes, I realize that the Gundams' presence has already been made known to the public and that they know the pilots are working with us… but the Gundams and its pilots have always been seen as an independent force, neither siding with Earth or the colonies, just the people." His voice soon took on a note of seriousness. "If I step into that machine once again I risk jeopardizing the integrity of this agency. Everything Une, Noin, myself and Relena have worked so hard for will be for naught; we'll be labeled hypocrites and lose our standing within the E.S.U.N."_

_"Relena's more important." Heero stated simply. "I have a plan, but I can't do it alone. Will you help or not?" There wasn't much emotion in his voice but the concern clearly showed in his eyes._

_ "… Alright, Yuy, so what's the plan?"_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"I understand, Zechs," Lady Une responded. She unlocked the top drawer of her desk and pulled out a card. Getting up and walking over to the tall man, she handed it to him with a smile.

"You know where it is, just be sure you still know how to pilot it," she said in good humor.

"It'll be just like remembering how to ride a bike; it's is not something one forgets so easily," he replied before exiting the room.

Une quirked an eyebrow at his retreating back and shook her head, laughing. "Not exactly like remembering how to ride a bike..."

* * *

"Dammit! The sandstorm's too fierce, we can't see anything through it *static* and the enemy is still here," an OZ soldier shouted over his com-link to his fellow comrade.

"How many are still out there?" his friend asked over the static filled com-link.

"... We've managed to take down a few of the unidentified suits, but we haven't taken down any more than that." There was panic in his voice and his hands shook on the controls of his mobile suit. "The static is getting worse as well. At this rate we'll lose all communications; we'll be fighting blindly in this storm." He waited for his friend to respond, getting nervous when it took him longer than expected.

"It doesn't matter," static interfered, cutting him off momentarily, "if we're having so much trouble then we have to expect they're dealing with the same setbacks as well." More static erupted. "Just keep your eyes open and be ready for anything-AHHH!" His scream resonated over the com-link, carrying the death cry to the others in the squad. Before another second could pass by the sound of an exploding suit was heard in the desert.

His comrade froze in fear and soon he met the same fate, his Gemini suit sliced in half by an unseen weapon. "Rashid," Quatre's voice called out, "how many of those Geminis are left?"

"We counted around twenty when they first arrived, Master Quatre, and so far we've taken out only eight of them," the man replied. "They've managed to hold up well and I doubt they will go down easily anytime soon."

"That's fine with me, Rashid, as long as we can take them down eventually, that's all that matters right now," the youth stated firmly. "Based on the data Heero gave us, we're not even close to putting a dent in their numbers." He finished by destroying another one of the Geminis.

"Master Quatre! An unidentified mobile suit has just landed forty meters away from our location," one of the Maganacs informed him.

"An unidentified mobile suit?" there was fear in Quatre's voice as the question left his lips. "Give me a description of it now!" He said forcefully, very unlike his nature.

"I wasn't able to see much through the sand, but it was red," the man responded.

Quatre went numb and his grip on the controls tightened. _/No... It's Miss Relena. What am I going to do? I can't do anything to harm her, but if I don't then I'm guaranteeing my own death. There has got to be another way around this... there has to be-/_

"AHHHHHH!"

The young Arabian's head snapped up as the scream filled his ears; horror was etched on his face, and he fought to find his voice. His body began to tremble and he shook his head in denial. _/This can't be happening... it can't be... but it has happened before... We fought her before and there was no blood spilled between us... maybe the same thing can happen this time… I can't... I can't do this... I can't fight her!/_ Another explosion was heard and Quatre's eyes went wide before clamping shut. _/Pain./_ His hands clutched at his chest and tears began to collect at the corners of his eyes; his breathing becoming labored and forceful.

"Master Quatre!" Rashid's commanding voice broke through the youth's mind. "That mobile suit is too powerful for us to handle, we need your help!"

"Rashid... I-I can't," his voice was weak and barely audible.

"Master Quatre, we're getting beat out here," Abdul shouted, "We won't be able to hold out much longer! Why can't you fight?" There was silence so he began again. "Master Quatre! -"

"I refuse to fight Miss Relena!" he shouted angrily, fearfully.

"Darlian?" Rashid said in disbelief. "Master Quatre, why didn't you tell us about this?"

The blond pilot was quiet for a moment before he replied. "Because I had and still have a hard time believing it myself," he finally answered quietly. "That mobile suit is the Neo Epyon and Miss Relena is its pilot." The sandstorm cleared momentarily and the three of them caught a glimpse of the red beast. It was engaged in a battle with two other suits belonging to the Maganacs. The other OZ suits were nowhere in sight, abandoning the battle with the arrival of the monstrous Gundam. They watched in stunned silence as the Neo Epyon brought its terrifying heat sword down on a suit trying to defend itself with its gun. The sword sliced through the both gun and machine like butter. The resulting explosion created a silhouette, turning it into nothing more than a shadow. The red monster then swung sideways and took out the other suit.

"Retreat and regroup at Preventer Headquarters!" Quatre ordered the remaining Maganacs.

"But Master Quatre-" Abdul began but was cut off.

"Now!" the young pilot seethed. "There's nothing more we can do here! Go!"

With heavy hearts they left the desert scene as Quatre defended their evacuation. He stood there motionless with Sandrock, watching as Neo Epyon took out two Oliphants with extreme ease. Firmly setting his jaw, he took one last look back before taking off on the Maganacs' trail.

* * *

The underground corridor was absent of both light and sound, abandoned for the past two years. That all changed when the entrance slid opened and a shadowy figure entered triggering the automatic floor lights which lit a pathway to a much larger door at the end. A second, smaller shadow appeared and stood beside the first, turning to the taller one and receiving a nod. Their heavy footsteps on the metal floor reverberated off the walls as they made their way down the black corridor. Once at the end, they came to an abrupt halt in front of the massive metal door. The taller shadow moved his hand into his jacket pocket, pulling out a card and slipping it into a slot above a wall panel as he proceeded to punch in a code only he knew. The metal door parted in two and the lights within automatically turned on.

"Are you sure about this, Zechs?" Noin asked.

He turned to look at her for a second then averted his gaze to the object inside. His eyes started at the foot and trailed their way up until they rested on the face of the mobile suit. "Tallgeese III," the pilot acknowledged. "Noin, I can no longer run away from this. I've tried so hard to make amends for the things I've done in the past… The Mars Terraforming Project was my way of atonement… A way for me to help create a new future for the people in space and that has kept me away from this thus far. But I can't deny the fact that I'm a soldier, Noin; I've lived my whole life as one... and although I can't erase my past, I can help write a new future."

"What if the other nations find out?" she inquired.

"Like Yuy said, Relena's more important." There was no doubt in his voice and Noin knew that his mind had been made up. "I won't lose her again; not to OZ or anyone else… Besides Une says she'll take care of the small details."

"Be careful when you do get out there, Zechs. The data says they will outnumber us at least fifteen to one, and a majority of them are mobile dolls."

"Those are numbers I'm not unfamiliar with, Noin," he replied somberly. "I'm more worried about you and your part in this."

"That's very kind of you, but you don't have to worry about me, Zechs," she said with a smile, "I'm a soldier just like you. Whatever you can handle, I can as well. I did place second at the Academy after you, remember?"

"That's only 'cause you let me be first." They both looked at each other for a moment before continuing inside, heading towards the inevitable.

* * *

"You left her behind!" Whitenburg fumed at the returning pilots. There was unbridled rage behind his eyes and the others backed away in fear. "She was sent to assist you and you end up leaving her to deal with whatever obstacle was at that location by herself!? How many were there?!"

"F-forty sir! But we managed to take out five of them," a young private answered hesitantly.

"Just forty?! You couldn't handle forty by yourselves?" The young pilots were treading on thin ice that only got thinner with each breath they took.

"There was also a Gundam there, sir!" another pilot quickly added.

"Gundam?"

"Yes, sir!"

Without warning, the General lashed out at the smaller man, backhanding him across the face. "All the more reason why you shouldn't have left her there alone!"

"If she's such a good pilot, then thirty-five mobile suits and a Gundam shouldn't be as they say 'a piece of cake' for her," came a condescending voice from the back of the hangar.

"I don't have time for this, Dereks," Whitenburg said in a low, even, and dangerous voice. His back was turned to the other man, but he made no move to face him. "If she doesn't come back, someone's going to be held responsible for this."

"Sir!" One of the soldiers at the computer terminal shouted. "I just received a transmission from Neo Epyon."

The General's blue eyes went wide and he rushed over to the terminal. He briskly shoved the soldier out of the way, making it easier for him to talk to the girl. "Rei!" There was silence as he waited for a response.

"Present."

The man let out a sigh of relief and his shoulders slumped from the released tension. "What's your status?"

"The enemy retreated before I could finish them off. Damage to the Neo Epyon is inconsequential."

"How difficult were they? Were you required to activate the ZERO system?"

"Negative. They presented no trouble."

"Good. Come back to base as quickly as possible."

"Acknowledged."

Whitenburg brushed back a loose strand of hair and his cold blue eyes hardened. "You're all dismissed," he commanded the soldiers who dispersed as quickly as they could. "The rest of you as well." The console operators left all too quickly, leaving the hangar empty with the exception of the two officers.

"You have too much of a soft spot for that girl," the Captain began, "or more accurately, the person that girl reminds you of. It's a weakness that should be corrected without hesitation. She's dead. It's about time you moved on with your life."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, get off it, will you?!" Dereks snapped back. "Who are you trying to fool? Me? The rest of the people here? Or are you trying to fool yourself? Ever since the day she died, you've changed. How much longer are you going to keep this up?"

"I don't want to hear it, Dereks!" the dark-haired man seethed.

"Well you're going to," the shorter man retorted. "It's very unhealthy to live in the past; you'll never be able to move on if you do... Look," his voice softened a bit, "I know that I haven't been much of a supportive friend during this whole ordeal, and I'm sorry, but you have to let go."

"Friend?" he gave a mocking chuckle. "You've more than tried to undermine this whole operation. Do you know how many reports I've received that have to do with you threatening the girl? It's a wonder why I still let you live."

"Wonder all you want, but I'm not leaving until you come to your senses. Anna wouldn't want to see you like this-"

"What would you know?!" the taller man cut in, his patience thrown out the window. "You weren't there with us when we were young and starving on the streets, stealing food so we could keep our families fed. You weren't there when it rained and we had to take shelter under anything we could find. You weren't there when our friends and family died of illness and hunger. You weren't there to see our faces light up when OZ came to our village, offering us a chance at life. No. You were warm and safe in your comfortable little mansion, free from the diseases of war and poverty that plagued the rest of the world."

"You're right," the other man said firmly, "I wasn't there, but I _**was**_ there when she fought. I _**was**_ there when she died during that battle at New Edwards. _**I**_ was the one to receive her last transmission before her suit was blown up. _**I**_ was there to hear her last words, and do you know what they were?" He paused and saw the haunting look of a man who'd lost the most important thing in the world.

"What?" he asked in a tired voice.

"Look after him for me."

An eerie silence blanketed them and the young Captain thought he had gotten through the other man's barrier. "Leave." The General had heard enough and refused to hear any more. When he realized that the other man had yet to make his exit, he pulled out a gun and aimed it at the Captain's head, "I said leave!"

Dereks' lips thinned, but his eyes remained soft and sympathetic. He gave a quick salute then did an about-face and left the hangar. Once he was gone Whitenburg dropped the gun and slumped to the floor. His hands buried themselves in his hair and he hung his head, frustrated and exhausted. The thirty-year-old was too much in his own thoughts to register the sound of the opening hangar doors and the large platform elevator descending down into the base. Quiet footsteps made their way to him, but he made no move to show that he was even aware of the other's presence. As he stared down at the floor, a pair of black boots came into his field of vision. Showing no surprise, the General got up and looked down at the smaller girl.

"Welcome back, Rei."

-to be continued-

* * *

Author's Note: Since Zechs is no longer the ruler of Sanc the conversation between him and Heero wasn't as poignant as the original, but hopefully I was still able to convey the same sense of urgency that the two felt.


	16. A New Dawn: Part 1

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply. I do not own Gundam Wing; they are the legal property of Sotsu, Sunrise, Bandai, and any other company I failed to mention.

Warnings: Mild language and violence; actually, the language's a bit stronger in this one, but nothing too bad.

A.N: Okay, this is the first part of the last chapter in Zero Soul and there is an epilogue that follows it. I'm sad to see this story come to an end, but it was going to happen sooner or later. In the last chapter Zechs set aside his differences with Heero and agreed to take the restraints off Tallgeese III to use it in the upcoming battle with OZ. Meanwhile, Sally and Wufei discovered some disturbing details that involve the Seele units. In this chapter the scenes go back in time in reference to the first scene with Trowa and Wufei. In the original version it was counting down the hours, but this time around I'm gonna use the 24 hour clock.

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 15: A New Dawn

Part 1: Countdown to the Inevitable

By: Vegie-kun

Present day: 1600 hours  
Location: Siberian wilderness

It was late afternoon, slowly approaching early evening, and the sun was saying its last goodbyes to the land. The area seemed peaceful as a flock of birds made ready to leave the trees in which they were resting. Without warning a bright patch of light could be seen in the distance as artillery shells filled the hazy orange sky. The once serene silence was now broken by the occasional sounds of explosions. Countless mobile suits littered the horizon, resembling a swarm of killer bees on the attack.

"Wufei," Trowa called to the Chinese pilot, "how are things on your side?" He paused to duck as a Gemini swung its beam sabre. As soon as the mobile suit completed its action, Heavyarms dashed forward, knocking the Gemini backwards.

"What do you think? Shit!" the Altron pilot cursed as unknown gunfire hit him in the back. His Gundam slumped forward, but he managed to prevent it from toppling over completely by supporting himself on one knee. Faster than the wind, he swung with his Twin Beam Trident and struck the unlucky mobile suit's side. If the suit had been an ordinary Leo, it would have been destroyed, but it was a Gemini II and the double beam trident only managed a well-sized dent. "Dammit! It'll take us forever to destroy these things! When is Yuy's plan going to take effect?!"

The Heavyarms pilot wasn't able to respond right away; another Gemini had caught his attention. After kicking the OZ suit away, he unleashed a round or ammunition into the fray, dispatching two of the enemies. "Be patient, Wufei," he replied in the calm, but firm tone that was uniquely his, "we have to wait for Water and Fire to do their part before anything can happen."

"Argh! Shit!" he cursed again, biting back the pain as he was slammed in the side by another suit. "I still say it was a bad idea letting the two of them handle that end of Yuy's so-called plan."

"Wufei, there wasn't anyone else capable enough for the task," he was cut off momentarily by two oncoming Geminis, but was able to dodge them easily. "They will succeed... they have to, we are out of time and options."

"Gods dammit!"

* * *

One day prior: 1600 hours  
Location: Preventer Headquarters

"What did you say?!" The Chinese pilot wailed at his partner as he slammed his hands on her desk. "Do you even know what you're getting into?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," she curtly replied, standing up to meet his gaze. _/Dammit, I liked him better before he reached his growth spurt, at least I was able to look down on him./ _"It's no different than the other missions I've been assigned." She crossed her arms over her chest and tried her best to keep from strangling the young man.

"Yes, it is!" The pilot's teeth clenched as his hands balled into fists.

"How so?" There was impatience in her voice; she really didn't want to be here having this conversation. Her morning had been a hectic one; she'd been given a copious amount of paperwork, had to attend two meetings to devise and strategize battle plans, and had to make the necessary preparations for her upcoming infiltration of OZ's base.

"You'll be alone." It was said in such a somber tone that even those who'd been long acquainted with the young pilot would have had a hard time believing that it belonged to him.

"No, I won't," she huffed, exhausted, "I'll be with Fire."

"But you won't be in the same sectors," Wufei retorted, showing an unexpected amount of concern for the older woman. He unclenched his hands and let them drop to his side. "You'll be headed for the main communications room while she's off to wherever those doctors are... I don't like the idea of the two of you going in there without backup."

"Wufei..."

"What if they discover you? What are we going to do then?" the youth rambled on. "Yuy's half-cracked plan has no room for failure, if something were to happen to you, we are all affected-"

"You don't trust me?!" her face flushed with anger and shock. It was her turn to clench her fists as she gave him a deadly glare.

"I didn't say that, onna!" he retorted.

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped angrily.

The young man sighed heavily and held up a hand, asking for her silence. "Sally... all I'm saying is that I'm worried. I know you are more than capable of handling this, Fire too, but... just be careful."

"Wufei..."

* * *

One day prior: 1400 hours  
Location: Preventer Headquarters

"How many of the Maganacs were taken out?" Duo asked from his seat at the cafeteria table. The Deathscythe Hell pilot had just seen Hilde Schbeiker off at the spaceport an hour ago and, as of now, was trying to learn all he could about the events that transpired with his Arabian comrade. Of course, this was done over a tray of food... lots of food.

"In all," he began sadly, "it was five suits and five Oliphants. That reduces our number to only thirty-five."

"Do you think that will affect us any?" he asked as he leaned back in his seat, one arm resting on the table while another held a sandwich.

"Against those Geminis, every suit we have counts," the blond was serious and the other pilot could tell. Holding his head in his hands, he slowly let out his voice. "I don't like to sound grim, but we're in trouble."

"Oi, you're telling me?" the braided pilot let out a humorous chuckle. He took a bite of food, swallowing it before he continued, "At least you were able to get some decent field experience with them. I haven't had that pleasure yet so I'm going to go into the battle without any real firsthand knowledge of what those suits are capable of. If you ask me, I'm at a slight disadvantage."

The Arabian couldn't help but laugh at that remark. _/Leave it up to Duo to make it seem as if he's been cheated out of something during wartime./_ "I see what you mean."

"So where does that leave us now?" the American pilot inquired. "Last I heard they outnumbered us fifteen to one. What are the current figures now that we lost ten of our own suits?"

"Well, it's not so bad… just eighteen to one," the youth saw the Deathscythe pilot grimace and decided to give him a sympathetic look.

"We're dead," the jovial boy dramatically responded, flailing his arms about for emphasis.

"Will you stop that, baka?!"

Both Gundam pilots turned their heads, looking up to see the scowling Chinese man above them. Like the other two he had on his Preventer uniform; a portfolio clasped in his hands. "We're needed in conference room 2 for a briefing."

"Briefing? Now? But I haven't finished my meal yet," the American gestured to his strange array of food.

The shorter boy gave a disgusted look and tried to turn away. "Ten men couldn't finish the food that you've laid out, baka. C'mon, I want to get this over with as quickly as possible so we can prepare for the OZ attack." With that he turned around and headed for the exit. Duo reluctantly left his small buffet as he got up and followed behind with Quatre in tow. They took one of the elevators to the second floor conference room; all curious as to what would be in store for them.

When they entered the expansive room with the large oval table situated in the middle, they saw that the majority of their team had already arrived. Zechs and Noin were sitting next to each other on the right side close to the door while Trowa sat in the seat next to them. Sally occupied a chair a few seats away from him and Lady Une was at the head; a mop of dark brown hair was glaringly absent. The three youths moved to take their seats around the table, waiting patiently once they got there to hear what had to be said. A few moments passed before Lady Une coughed lightly, signaling the beginning of their meeting.

"You're probably wondering why Heero isn't here at the moment; he's still on L1 and will join us once the attack starts... I take it everyone knows about the battle soon to come," she looked around the room and saw the nods. "I'm sure it also hasn't escaped you that we are severely outnumbered." Her tone become serious and her eyes no longer held any humor. "Their numbers total at least 650 not to mention they have an extremely powerful Gundam as well. More than half those numbers are mobile dolls, which prove to be both advantageous and disadvantageous for us. If we are to stand a fighting chance against OZ we must work together and… Heero has kindly offered a plan that will help make use of our limited resources."

A few faces at the table began to pale. It wasn't because they doubted Heero's ability to come up with a good plan; it was just that his plans sometimes went into the extremes and often involved something self-detonating If the suicidal pilot lived up to his nature, then they were going to be put through the ringer. The Japanese youth had never been one to be subtle; once his mind was set on something there was little anyone could do to stop him. That was what they feared; the knowledge that Heero would not stop, no matter what was going to happen. One way or another, it was going to be either OZ or them, maybe even both, who would not leave the battlefield alive.

"You will be fighting in teams," she began again, "Duo and Quatre will be team one, Wufei and Trowa will be team two, Zechs and Heero will be team three, and the Maganacs will be split into teams of five. Quatre, you'll be the one to lead the assault." She saw the look of fear in his eyes and responded before he could. "You can do this Quatre. Heero trusts your judgment; that is why he chose you. The attack will commence in 25 hours, and once it begins, you are to make sure that none of the OZ mobile suits leave the Siberian area."

"Victory means teamwork. Our top priority will be the disabling of the mobile dolls. If we can eliminate the control console for the doll program, we'll only have to deal with half those numbers and most of the pilots will surrender once they realize what has happened. However, even after we render the dolls inoperable, we still have Neo Epyon to contend with. The outcome will never be guaranteed unless we can take out that Gundam, which means having to deal with Relena." She saw Zechs getting up to protest and held up a hand to silence him.

"Let me finish, Wind," she said turning to gaze at the entire group. "A few weeks ago we had no idea how those Seele units functioned but that was then; now we have sufficient data that can aid us in our search for the solution. In order to take out the Neo Epyon we have to take out its pilot. While the Gundams, Tallgeese III, and Maganacs are dealing with the Geminis, two of our special operatives will infiltrate the OZ base in Siberia." She stood up and pressed a button on the panel next to her shutting off the lights as a screen descended from the ceiling. Displayed on it were images of blueprints and floor plans, most likely to the base. Using a laser pointer to direct their focus, she continued on. "Once inside operative one will locate and proceed to the main medical facilities here in search of the doctors responsible for the Seele units. At the same time, operative two will head for the main communications room here."

"I don't understand," Noin spoke from her seat. "Why would the second operative need to go to the communications room? Wouldn't it be safer for them accompanied the other in the search of the doctors?"

"It would be safer, yes, but it would take too much time and manpower; both of which we do not have. During Heero's time at the base he was able to discover a way to break off the influence of the Seele units." She pressed a button and the image switched to blueprints of the Seele units. "On the day Relena escaped from our facilities, she was sent a transmission ordering her to return to their base. It turned out they had to use a lot of power to do so and in turn, they blew out a circuit on unit number three. While that wasn't enough to free her completely from the devices, it was able to weaken the units' influence. Her time in WingZERO during the assault on the North American base triggered some sort of memory lapse, causing her to lose consciousness." She hardened her gaze and a devious smile spread across her face. "What we want to do is trigger another such memory lapse that will render her inoperable as a pilot during the battle."

"But she won't be in WingZERO though," Duo pointed out.

"Don't concern yourself about that, Heero has already assured me he has that part of the plan all taken care of. The operative sent to the main communications room will send a strong signal to the Seele units, hopefully short-circuiting unit three. That assignment will be carried out once they have deactivated the mobile doll. Things should be easier once those tasks have been completed."

"Wait a minute," Wufei began suspiciously, "who are these special operatives going to be?"

"I'll let you know once I give them the details of their assignment."

* * *

One day prior: 1800 hours  
Location: OZ base

Last minute preparations were being made to the Gemini mobile suits strewn about the underground base. Everywhere engineers and mechanics scrambled around trying to make themselves useful lest they incur the wrath of the General. The Gundams weren't going to be taken out easily, but they had to be if OZ wanted any chance of conquering the Earth Sphere Unified Nation.

Luckily for them, the intimidating general was currently in his room, contemplating the events yet to come. His hands cradled his head as he sat at the edge of his bed, eyes shut with exhaustion. _/Soon... soon everything will return to the beginning. OZ will be in control once __more and there will be order, purpose, peace... the only obstacles left: the Gundams and the Preventers… but that will be taken care of soon enough. They may have five Gundams but only one of them has the ZERO system, and there's no way they can stand against 650 mobile suits. More than likely, WingZERO's pilot will be going against Rei... she's so much like Anna-NO! Stop this; you cannot get distracted at this point. Concentrate on the task at hand and victory will ensue./_

He reached out for the picture frame on his dresser and stared at it; his body visibly slumped as tears escaped from the corners of his closed lids. _/Oh God... Dammit! I always turn back to you when the times get hard... We were supposed to see this future come to fruition together! Why did you have to die back there?! Why did you have to leave me? I thought we were friends. I thought we'd always be there for each other, so why aren't you here now?.../_

_*FLASHBACK*_

_In the dirty alleyway between two broken down apartment buildings, footsteps were heard running through puddles. Seconds later, two children, looking no older than eight, popped out and ran into the street of a large town located in a more secluded part of Germany. One of the children was a boy with messy black hair and bright blue eyes. The other was a small girl with tangled honey blonde hair and warm blue eyes. Faces smeared with dirt and grime, and tattered clothes that were nothing more than rags; it was obvious were they stood on the social hierarchy._

_In their arms they carried pieces of bread; most likely stolen. Despite their ragged appearance, the two had smiles upon their faces; they expressed nothing but hope. After running past another corner the two eventually stopped by a large oak tree. Exhausted, they fell down at its trunk, laughing joyfully. Once the laughter died down, the boy gave a sigh and turned his attention to the spoils in his arms, then to the ones in the girl's._

_ "Here," he said placing a piece in her pile, "you're uneven."_

_ "But-" she began to protest but was hushed by a headshake._

_"Nah, your family needs it more," he saw her lower her gaze and he shifted closer, putting an arm around the slender form. "It's okay, don't worry about it. There'll always be more bread."_

_ "Thanks, Julian," she said softly, meeting his gaze._

_"Hey," the boy said cheerfully, trying to lighten the mood, "did you hear about the people coming here today?"_

_ "Is it the Alliance soldiers?" There was fear in her voice._

_The boy blinked and felt her uneasiness with the subject of the Alliance. "Not exactly, it's OZ!" he beamed when he said that. "They're here to fix this place up and we'll be able to get money and food and real homes!" His words were so full of excitement the girl couldn't help but return his smile, yet a question still nagged at the back of her mind._

_ "How are they gonna do that?"_

_"Well, they've already started by re-opening the factories just outside the town and have started hiring people to work there. I think our families will be working there, though I'm not exactly sure of that yet," he said with an amused expression on his face. "They'll also build a school here to train new OZ soldiers. I heard they were gonna start recruiting real soon. And you know what?" There was a big grin on his face. "I'm going to join them!"_

_ "Really?"_

_"Yeah," the statement was full of enthusiasm though his gaze was concentrated on the grass, "and I'm gonna be the best soldier there, then no one will have to worry about being hungry or cold anymore 'cause I'm gonna take care of them."_

_"Hey," the girl exclaimed hesitantly, "can I join you? I don't want to be left behind." There was a pleading look on her and the boy felt his heart tear._

_"Of course! We're gonna be the best students there! Just you and me, Anna. Did you really think I would leave you behind?" She nodded and he chuckled. "I'd never do that to you! You're my best friend and I'm your protector, right?"_

_The girl beamed up at him; unable to contain the joy within her, she dropped her provisions and hugged him. "Always, Julian! We'll always be the best of friends!" The embrace was hesitantly broken and the girl looked into his cool blue eyes blushing. "Sorry, Julian. Guess I got carried away there."_

_"Hey," the youth began but quickly dismissed the thought, "forget about it." The boy turned his attention towards the open field spread out before them; his face held only determination and quiet strength. "We'll forge a new future for this world," he vowed silently to the wind, unaware that the girl had also heard his declaration. She placed a small hand on his forearm and leaned into his figure._

_ "Together?"_

_ "Together."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

_/Oh, how stupid I was... God, I miss you so much... We survived everything our childhood had to throw at us... only to miss out on the rest of our lives. Damn it all!/_ He suddenly stood up and violently threw the frame on the floor. The glass broke immediately upon impact; cracks running like rivers on its surface while pieces shattered and broke off from the rest.

"Damn," he sobbed, falling miserably to the floor as soon as the word left his lips. "Foolish, childish dreams were never meant for a world such as this..." His arms hugged his body and he curled into a ball like a lost child, still sobbing. "Fools... we're all fools. Striving for our own selfish goals, we lose sight of the things most important to us... dammit... damn it all..."

* * *

In one of the training facilities within the OZ base the doctor with the graying dark brown hair and the one with white hair stood behind a wall, looking into the adjoining room through the one-way mirror. Both held clipboards, jotting down note and note with fervent interest of their subject in the next room; the pilot known as Rei. The two watched as she repeatedly and flawlessly dispatched soldier after soldier that came at her. The door to their room opened and another man with black hair and beard casually walked across the room to join them.

"How is she?" he asked casually.

"Better than ever," the eldest doctor replied. "I guess the tension of the upcoming battle is causing her to react as such. Her reaction time has jumped up at least 15 percent in the last two hours alone... Those Preventers are really going to have something to worry about."

"What if the units malfunction again?" the brown-haired man inquired.

"Will you stop worrying about that? Everything will be fine. Do you have so little faith in our work that you would question the Seele units' reliability?" The white-haired man queried mockingly.

"It's not that at all," the younger man said apologetically.

"Then what is it?" There was very little patience in his voice.

"It's the girl. Her mind... no, her spirit, is much stronger than we give it credit for. If we're not careful, she could break free of its hold by herself."

"You put too much faith in the human mind," the eldest doctor retorted. "If humans are so strong then why did they allow themselves to be controlled so easily in the past?" He snorted derisively. "Humans haven't changed; they've just found new masters to obey. It's a sick process that will never end… just like war and hatred."

The brown-haired man became silent and the darker-haired man went up to the window and pressed the button for the intercom.

"That's all for now, Rei. We'll begin testing with the ZERO system in an hour."

On the other side of the barrier the girl's body went still as the orders were given. She stood breathing heavily; sweat covering most of her body and a stern look etched on her face. In the quiet of the room she was able to hear the beating of her heart as it pounded rapidly within her chest. _/Only 21 more hours to go, before I will be able to face him… Heero Yuy. I will definitely eliminate you./_With that small declaration, the girl slowly headed towards the exit.

* * *

One day prior: 2300 hours  
Location: L1 laboratory

"Heero? Are you still up?" Doctor J's voice cut through the stillness of the dark room. He turned his mechanical gaze onto the figure hunched over a laptop and sighed. "Go to sleep, Heero; you've done all you can, there's nothing more to do but to wait. All of OZ is probably sound asleep by now."

"No," he stated coldly, "she's still awake, and training."

"Maybe so, but you'll have an advantage if you're well rested," he replied with a knowing smile. "Try to at least get in 6 hours, hmm?"

"Hn. Is everything set with WingZERO?"

"Yes, but what will you do if you are forced to activate it? Her impression is just as strong as yours, and she wasn't able to defend against it. I wonder if you'll fare the same way." He adjusted his specs and grinned. "The other old men and I have been placing our bets to see who'll be the victor. They've put their money on OZ's little toy soldier, but I have my money placed on my own heartless one. Don't die now or else I'll be out of a retirement fund."

The old man left the young pilot to his solitary confinement-like state, chuckling as he made his way through the corridor. Heero neither ceased in his typing or strategizing as various plans ran through his chaotic mind. _/There can be no mistakes. No mistakes at all. One false move and we lose the battle and Relena… I'll die before I let either of the two happen. Failure means death and death is the only thing to hope for if OZ wins.../_

The videophone on his stand suddenly beeped and the youth hesitated before pressing the button to answer the call. The screen clicked and Heero met pale blue eyes, curving eyebrows, fair skin, long platinum blonde hair, and a mocking smile. His Prussian blue eyes narrowed, and he seethed through his teeth. "You. How did you get this number?"

"Oh, does it really matter now?" came the unmistakable voice of Dorothy Catalonia. "I'm more surprised by the fact that you were able to remember me."

"What do you want?" he asked in a low and dangerous voice.

"What? Can't I just call to say hello?" The girl's smile widened when she saw that his patience had left him. "Alright, I'll explain myself… I must tell you though, the Preventers should get a better security lock on their computer system; it doesn't take much to hack into it and retrieve information on say... someone's number. You should really think about helping them improve their system; I hear that you're an expert on such things."

"_**What**_ do you want?" he asked again ready to end the call.

Dorothy gave a soft chuckle that was uniquely hers and fixed her eyes on those of the Gundam pilot. "Ah. Ever the Perfect Soldier; always straight to the point as usual. Fine then, it's about Whitenburg."

"What about him?"

"Other than the information you 'acquired' about him at the underground Siberian base, what do you know?" She saw his eyes widen slightly, a bit confused, and smirked. "Nothing. Other than what was on his profile, you know absolutely nothing about why he's initiating this war."

"He wants control of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation," he stated matter-of-factly.

"In a way that is correct, but it's not the absolute truth," she replied knowingly.

"Well then, what _**do**_ you know?"

"Everything."

* * *

Present day: 0000 hours  
Location: Preventer Headquarters

The tall young man stood in his office, staring out the window. His arms were crossed over his chest as he remained motionless and stoic, something that wasn't new, especially for him. Sleep hadn't claimed him yet and he doubt it would anytime soon. The hours were drawing to a close and soon it was all going to happen once again. It was going to be a fight that paralleled the last climactic battle of the Eve Wars. The only real difference was that they wouldn't be able to kill the one thing that truly threatened them. He tensed when he heard light footsteps approach him and made ready should that person be an enemy.

"Thinking of the battle, Trowa?" came Noin's mature voice.

He nodded and she took up a position next to him, his form taller than hers. "She will get hurt." He stated calmly, almost coldly.

"No one's gonna argue with you on that," she sighed lowering her gaze for a second before averting it to the night scenery outside the window. "I'm pretty sure though, that it won't affect her much. I just wonder if she's going to be the same person after this."

"She's a strong girl." As usual, he pointed out what really mattered.

"I already know that," she stated. "I was the one who accompanied her to all those OZ meetings during her time as ruler of the Sanc Kingdom. You have no idea how aggressive she can get when people try to discourage her. Trust me; if she can survive all those stuffy conferences, then she can survive getting a few scrapes and bruises."

There was silence between the two once more and they held their gaze on the outside world. "Do you suppose he's thinking about her?" he asked suddenly, staring into the star filled depths of space.

"Maybe," she replied gently, a bit of laughter escaping her lips, "you can never really tell with that guy." Her face became set and her voice was firmer with her next words. "It's sad really; to see another war develop right before our eyes. Humans haven't changed much and I doubt they will anytime soon in the future. Despite everything they have witnessed throughout history, their greed and selfish desires always seem to blind them to the sufferings of the people."

"Peace always follows," he stated almost automatically.

"Only if the right person is still alive to instigate it," Noin retorted sardonically.

* * *

In the apartments located in the building adjacent to Preventer Headquarters, Duo Maxwell was keeping himself occupied with the person within the video screen. Bright blue eyes and an impish smile were comforting him in his time of confusion and anxiety. He had acted as if he were unfazed by the events yet to come, putting on a happy mask that allowed him to get by that day. He tried to put forth a brave front but it was exhausting; at least he didn't have to try so hard in front of her, she knew him better than that.

"It's going to be alright, Duo," Hilde said reassuringly. "You're one of the greatest pilots I know, and it's not like you haven't been situations like this before."

"Yes, it is different," he was exasperated. "I'll be fighting 'Jousan. I don't care if she's in OZ mode while she's fighting; she's still 'Jousan to me."

"Are you kidding me?" the German girl remarked with a wide smile. "Relena's going to kick your butt on the battlefield; don't make it sound as if you won't have any trouble taking her down."

"Hah! Me? Lose to Relena? I'd like to see that happen!" he stood up and shouted, placing his hands on his hips.

"I don't know about that," the girl mocked slyly, "the reports that Wufei, Heero, and Quatre submitted about their encounters with her suggest otherwise." She was teasing him and, by the look on his face, it was getting to the Gundam pilot.

"Shinigami doesn't lose to girls," the American smirked, confident, before going into a hysterical fit of laughter. This was his ego at stake here and damn him if he was going to lose a battle to a pacifist!

Hilde couldn't help but smile at the comedic expression plastered on his face. _/He really needs this right now. It's better for Duo if he goes into battle with a desire to win... I know he'll succeed./_ "Good luck, Duo. Stay alive for me, okay?"

"Don't worry; I've beaten OZ before and I'll do it again, anytime, anyplace... Thanks babe."

* * *

Present day: 0200 hours  
Location: OZ base

The young man laid back on his bed, fingers interlaced behind his head, completely exhausted. He'd spent the last 16 hours overseeing the preparations for the upcoming battle. His body ached, but he knew it would go away soon enough; he had more important things to worry about. Beautiful brown eyes stared up at the ceiling, obscured by a few locks of reddish blonde hair, casting its gaze on the fan that seemed to spin idly round. How many nights had it been where he'd find himself like this? To his knowledge, it had been too many to count.

His mind wandered subconsciously to the earlier events of that day; namely, the girl's daily exercise with the ZERO system. Although all her tests had been done in a simulation cockpit the system was synced to the one that was installed in her Gundam. Yes. It was her Gundam; he was finally able to admit it after such a long time spent in denial. The tests with the ZERO system proved that her mind was more than capable of handling the effects usually induced by the program. Every time she was in that simulation cockpit, he always saw her improve bit by bit until her mind seamlessly merged with it and they became one single entity. The strangest thing though, was that every time she ran those tests, a part of his heart would ache. It wasn't from jealously but sadness… a sadness he could only trace to the past.

"Anna." The name instilled both joy and sorrow within him and another person he knew. _/He's falling apart, you know? He tries to keep your memories alive but it's killing him at the same time. He's afraid to move on, fearing that he'll forget you if he does... Oh, who am I kidding? I'm no better off than he is, I miss you too... Although you two were my superiors, you were also like my brother and sister... How I wish for those old days again, before those damned Gundams appeared... and then there's that girl. It's not helping him any since she does resemble you. Hell. It's not helping me either because every time I see her in that cockpit I think that it's you and that it's your soul being slowly eaten away by that Gundam. That girl should have never been allowed inside that thing; all it does is scrape away at the pieces of one's soul until there's nothing left.../_

"Why did you do it?" _/Why did you volunteer to fight that day? … Why am I blaming you? You had no idea the Gundams where going to be there that day at New Edwards... you had no idea you were going to die that day as well. If... if only... Dammit! It's stupid to think that you can change the past. It's written in stone and can never be altered, but the future... You'd always say that it was made of clay and had yet to be molded... I shouldn't be dwelling on things that have already passed; I'll end up like him if I do and that's the last thing I'd want to deal with right now. *sigh* How old am I now? Twenty-seven and still hopeless. I wonder if I'll die today; get blown up by one of those Gundams. Nah, I can't let that happen, I have to make sure that he stays alive until the end. I promised you I would... just hope that I can keep it./_

Feeling the weariness descend upon him, his eyelids started to slowly drop and his thoughts drifted off into oblivion. Faces flashed through his mind in its final hour of consciousness: those of Whitenburg, the doctors, soldiers, Darlian, Anna, Rei, and then the pilot of WingZERO. Somehow, the images of Rei and Heero began to alternate in the dark corners of his mind. He paid little attention to their faces, but their eyes stood out to him; they were so much like each other. They were cold, emotionless, unnerving, and dangerous; twin orbs that spoke of death to all who'd interfere with their missions. _/I don't know whose eyes I'd rather look at; the emptiness of the red ones or the coldness of the blue ones./ _The young man shuddered as he remembered those heartless Prussian blues. Passing by the prisoner's cell, he'd seen them peering out at him, eyeing him like a predator.

"What do I do now?" He queried before he succumbed to the song of night.

* * *

Present day: 0500 hours  
Location: L1 laboratory

Heero sat in the cockpit of his majestic WingZERO; gazing longingly at the Earth from his position on the colony. _/Soon./_ He looked down at his blue spacesuit and adjusted his gloves and the straps that kept him fastened in his seat. Despite the new information that had been given to him, he still managed to get a decent night's rest. _/This doesn't change anything; I'll make him pay for what he did to Relena... but what about that promise I made? ::You said that you would never kill again:: I've already killed! ::No, you haven't!:: Those men at all those OZ bases died to satisfy my need for vengeance... vengeance for taking her away from me. ::Those bases were nothing but decoys; they didn't have anyone manning them. You still haven't killed; __you have yet to break that promise, don't question it now. You've come a long way to get where you are, don't ruin it by letting your anger take hold of you:: *sigh*/_

The youth hung his head and chuckled. _/What's wrong with me? I'm arguing with myself... again! When did I become like this?! When did I lose control?/_ He stopped his laughter and looked up at the screen; pressing a button, he brought up an image. "Relena." It was the young Foreign Minister all right; aquamarine eyes, shimmering brightly with hope, not those dead red eyes that ate away at his heart. It was a picture taken when she had been truly happy and unburdened by her work: a rare one, taken in the garden of the Peacecraft mansion during a vacation that was forced on her by Noin. Don't ask how the Japanese pilot managed to get hold of it. He had his ways; he always did.

_/I lost control the first day I met you./_ Heero's form was still and silent as he stared absently at the picture. In the quiet cockpit, he could hear the rhythmic beating of his heart accompanied by the emptiness of space. It was such an eerie place; desolate and cold, not like the warmth of the Earth. Still, space was his home, and he knew he would be connected to it for as long as he lived. _/I met you on my way to Earth from space and I almost killed you./_ He switched off the screen and leaned back in the seat, taking a deep breath.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw the first rays of the sun as they came out of their hiding spot behind the blue planet. Its golden light spread across his screen, bathing him in its warm glow. It was dawn: the beginning of a new day and possibly the signal for the ending of something else. He sighed once more and activated the controls on WingZERO, his fingers were but a blur as they pressed buttons and flipped switches. The engines started up and in seconds he was blasting off through the sea of stars towards man's original home world. _/I'm coming for you./_

-to be continued-

* * *

I'm finally done with this part! Sorry, it took so long but I had to cut it in half or else it would have been a novel in itself.


	17. A New Dawn: Part 2

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is the property of Sotsu, Sunrise, Bandai, and any other companies I forgot to mention.

Warnings: Bad language, lots of violence, and lots of flashbacks. Ano... this is a very long chapter and I'm sorry, but try to think of it as a mini movie.

A.N: This is the final battle to decide the fate of the future. If the Gundams and Preventers fail then the desires of a man who wishes a return to the beginning will become a reality. In a world where peace and hope are so fragile, can the efforts of so few be enough to maintain such a balance? Friendship, loyalty, trust, and love will all be thrown into the fray where the possibility of survival is close to zero. As Heero said in the previous chapter, "Failure means death and death is the only thing to hope for if OZ wins." Who will be the victor; who shall claim the future as their own? More importantly, will the essence of war die with this battle or will it be doomed to repeat again in a different form?

* * *

**ZERO SOUL**

Chapter 15: A New Dawn

Part 2: Freedom: Mind, Body, and Soul

By: Vegie-kun

"Is everything ready?" Quatre quietly asked from the cockpit of his carrier plane.

"Yeah, but Heero's not here yet," Duo replied over the com-link from his own carrier. "What's taking that guy so long anyway?"

"Don't worry about that," the blond calmly reassured, "he'll be joining us once the battle starts. He told Lady Une he had to retrieve something first."

"Whad'ya suppose he went to get?" the Deathscythe pilot mused.

"I'd tell you," Quatre began, hearing Duo shuffle closer to the transmitter, "if I knew."

"Man, you really know how to shoot down a person's hopes, don't you, Quatre?" the other pilot wailed, feigning hurt. Hearing the Arabian chuckle in response he pouted, leaning back in his seat. The youth turned his head in the direction of the pilot, a Preventer agent assigned to transport him and his Gundam to the destined site. The man gave him a sympathetic look before turning his attention back to piloting the aircraft.

"How much longer?" the American asked, a bored expression adorning his handsome, youthful face.

"About another hour or so, I'm afraid," the man replied, trying to sound comforting, but failing miserably. They'd left the Preventer base at 1300 hour and had already been flying for an hour. At this rate, they would reach the Siberian area at 1500 hour. Duo sighed and placed his chin in his hand and stared out the window. The terrain beneath them was nothing but white, made blinding by the sun's reflection off the snow, yet it was peaceful and somehow satisfying.

* * *

In a strange, dark compartment, a lone figure in a black flight suit sat, strapped to the seat, waiting for something that only time would bring. Its face was hidden behind a darkened, black helmet, similar to the ones worn in space. Gloved hands gripped the controls of its mobile suit, unwilling to let go or loosen up. All the power had been turned off, blanketing the space in silence not unlike a tomb. There was nothing but the accursed quiet yet even that was disturbed by the faint, metronomic sounds of a heartbeat.

*doki* *doki* *doki* *doki* *doki*

The suited figure's head budged slightly, facing the blank screen in front of it before lowering again. "Huff... huff... huff... huff..."

* * *

They managed to reach the area right when the OZ mobile suits, consisting of Tauruses, Virgos, and Geminis, were leaving the underground Siberian base. That was their cue to take action; the doors to the carriers flew open and the Gundams, Tallgeese III, and Maganacs plummeted to the inevitable battle. The suits descended with incredible speed, like angels come to deliver the final judgment upon OZ. Activating their boosters and thrusters they landed on the ground with a resounding thud and froze. The opposition stilled; OZ knew the likelihood of the Gundams showing up was highly probable, but they thought they'd at least get out in time. Damn, they hadn't. There was an eerie silence looming over the field, challenging both sides to make the first move.

"Well, I guess this is it," Captain Dereks remarked with a grin on his face. "So, Julian..." he swiveled his head to the picture on the screen, "you ready?" He queried lightly over the com-link before his face turned grim.

There was a moment of silence before the older man answered back in a resolute voice, "Es ist Zeit."

With that, the first shot was fired, coming from the beam rifle of Whitenburg's Gemini II, aimed at the menacing silhouette of Sandrock. Within a fraction of a second the Preventer mobile suits dispersed into their respective teams and returned fire. A shower of bullets from the Gundam's vulcan guns made impact with a few enemy suits, throwing some off balance. Quatre and Duo quickly regrouped and flew off to the right while Wufei and Trowa rushed into a group in front of them. Wind was left to fend for himself, muttering curses at Heero for his lack of consideration by not showing up on time. However, those thoughts were quickly severed as he encountered a few Gemini IIs heading in his general direction. The Maganacs were resigned to battling the Tauruses and Virgos knowing they wouldn't stand long against the Geminis with their suits.

"Don't let any of them leave the area!" the Arabian pilot yelled to the others with a single-minded resolve as more suits continued to fly out of an area a few hundred meters away. This didn't make matters any better, and soon the entire land began echoing with the sounds of battle. The sky was a golden orange haze filled with haphazard clouds lazily strewn about. The sun would set in an hour or so and a night battle at night would bring about too many obstacles. It wasn't an option, and they weren't going to make it one.

* * *

Two women stood quietly within the forest of the Siberian land, hiding behind an enormous evergreen tree, monitoring the entrance to the enemy base. The last of the suits had left not more than five minutes earlier. They could hear the fighting, even from where they stood, and it made them worry. Everything would be up to them and, in a way, that was what scared the two; no one likes having the fate of something, anything, riding on their shoulders. The wind was chilly and the woman with sandy blonde hair wondered if it would rain.

"Is it time yet?" she asked her partner who snuck occasional glances at the clearing.

"We'll know when Lady Une cracks the code and opens that doorway for us," Noin replied, eyes never shifting from their target. "How deep is the drop going to be?"

"Heero said that it was at least a hundred meters," Sally answered, walking closer to her comrade. "Do you have your grappling hook ready?" The other nodded a 'yes' in response.

*CLICK* *CLICK* *CLICK*

The locks on the hidden metal barrier were heard and the two women prepared themselves for the plunge. With cat-like agility, they ran over to the opening portal, wary of the traps that may have been hidden nearby. Before the metal door was even a third of the way open, they leapt into the welcoming darkness that eagerly consumed them. Inside the vertical shaft they fell, motionless in their freefall. They wanted to make sure they had enough cable line to make it all the way down; stopping early was out of the question. Of course, if they miscalculated their landing then they would end up as Preventer pancakes on the cold metal floor.

"Now!" Noin yelled pulling out the small device tucked in the back of her waistband. Positioning the thing in front of her, she took aim, shot, and hit the metal shaft. The sudden jerk threatened to make her lose her grip, but she managed to hold on and reel herself in with Sally following suit. They landed without much trouble, taking time to store away their equipment safely before they proceeded with their assigned tasks.

"I guess this is where we split up," Sally mused jokingly with a smile. "Be careful while you're looking for them."

"The same goes for you," the raven-haired woman replied with an equally hearty smile. With one last look at each other they parted, heading in opposite directions; Noin going left while Sally headed straight ahead. _/Let's see… if I remember this… the medical facilities are located in the northwestern sectors of this base. That means that I have to head 200 meters down this corridor then turn left, go another 125 meters, then right and go up another 75 meters. I'm going to get a real workout out of this; I hope there aren't many soldiers left to monitor this place./_

Glancing at her watch she estimated the time she'd need to find her target, meet up with Water, and exit the base. If she made it through without any complications, then she'd only need forty-five minutes at the most. Her grip on the gun tightened, ready to deal with any obstacle that chose to interfere with her mission. Hearing approaching footsteps, she unlatched the safety and held the firearm close to her body. Wanting to keep the upper hand, Fire pressed her body to a nearby wall, breath held to prevent detection.

A shadow came into her field of vision, and she trained the weapon on it; it was a guard that looked to be no older than seventeen. She lowered the weapon and decided to let him pass, as long as he didn't see her. Luckily for him, he didn't catch sight of the woman who proceeded on to her destination. _/If all they have left are children, then... dammit! I can't fight them, OZ or not. How can people as young as they are just throw away their lives like that? Guess I shouldn't be one to talk; I was already fighting when I was even younger than them. God, I feel sick now./_

Twenty minutes later she arrived at a large complex, barred from the other side by a looming, metal doorway. She stepped closer, removing the terminal card Heero had stolen from her jacket pocket. Sliding the small object into a slot, she waited a few seconds before the panel began smoking and the door slid open. Taking another breath, she whipped her body into view and was greeted by the sight of four very startled doctors.

"Freeze!"

* * *

The Gundams, Tallgeese III, and the Maganacs were presently preoccupied with the endless numbers of mobile suits coming at them. They had been told to prevent any from leaving the base and although it seemed easy at first, it soon became a rather daunting task to accomplish; made worse by the fact that they were trying their best to prevent any casualties on both sides. All were exhausted; they doubted they could last much longer considering the fact that more than half the OZ troops were mobile dolls.

In a far corner of the field, Wind was mulling over how he had managed to let himself be surrounded by a mob of Geminis. They hadn't even been in battle for forty minutes and already he was cornered. His mind filled with curses as he fought with unbridled strength, fueled by his desire to get back the only family left to him. He lashed out with his heat rod daring the enemy suits to come closer and meet his wrath; they answered that challenge with beam sabre at the ready. Tallgeese took a hit to its right side and nearly stumbled as a metallic fist caught its left cheek. In less than a second he regained his composure and shot at the suits with his mega beam cannon. The OZ suits instinctively flew out of the cannon's pathway but one was unlucky and lost an arm as punishment for its sloppy maneuvering.

The suits backed off and Wind thought they had finally given up until an earth shattering blast caught him in the back. The force of the impact sent him down on one knee, and he bit his lip to prevent the sound of pain from escaping his lips. He cocked Tallgeese's head to the side and caught a glimpse of a Gemini II with a beam rifle. Before he was able to process this new information, the Gemini II's engines flared and it descended upon the Preventer's mobile suit.

"Zechs Merquise," Whitenburg addressed the other pilot, "I thought you had given up playing soldier to play God on a dead red planet."

"Whitenburg!" the younger man hissed, anger building by the second. "You can't even begin to imagine my surprise when I found out that you were the one responsible for Operation ZERO and Relena's current state."

"Really now?" the General mused mockingly. "I would have never guessed that the great Zechs Merquise could ever be surprised or that he would care so much."

"You're going to see firsthand that I'm full of surprises," he stated with an eerie calm, extracting his beam sabre from its hidden compartment.

"Oh, I'm looking forward to that," the other exclaimed as he whipped out his own beam sabre. "Did you really think you could atone for your past just by giving those greedy bastards in space a new planet to live on? Nothing is ever that easy; everyone has a price to pay if they want peace."

"Hn. So what did you sell in order to gain your 'peace'?" Wind queried while they sparred.

"My soul," he answered ruthlessly, taking another swing at Tallgeese. "Rei!"

Upon command, the terrifying figure of Neo Epyon shot out of its forest confines in a magnificent display of power and speed, trees and shrubbery the victims of such a violet outburst. The Preventer's eyes widened when he realized just who piloting that monstrous beast, but it was too late. The creature was fast and before the young man could blink, the beast was only a Gundam's length away.

*CRASH*

"WingZERO!?"

Like an avenger sent from heaven, the angelic WingZERO fell from the skies to intercept the devil sent from hell. The two suits tumbled on the ground, locked in a deadly embrace that neither was willing to relinquish. Rolling until they were a good distance away from the two men, they broke apart simultaneously. Both drew their swords, beam sabre and finely tempered Gundanium, in one swift motion that mirrored the other. Both waited a moment or two, sizing up their opponent. Not wasting a second more, the two took off towards each other at a blinding pace.

* * *

"This is Water, have you acquired the targets?" She queried over her communicator. The Preventer had been wandering around the base for about thirty minutes now, and though she was provided with a floor plan of the area, the facility proved to be more of a labyrinth than she could've imagined. She knew the battle above ground had been going on for over half an hour now and there wasn't a thing she could do to make things easier. They were depending on her, and she was very well aware of it.

"Target acquired," Fire reported to the blonde woman, a muffled protest was proof of that, "I'll meet up with you in about ten minutes, stay safe till then." She switched off leaving the other alone yet again.

Rounding the corner, she came upon a metal doorway and upon closer inspection she located the control panel. With caution, she proceeded to extract the terminal card from her pocket and slipped it into the slot. With a resounding click, the door unlocked and slid open. Gun in tow, she swung around and was surprised to find only two soldiers at the control and communications terminal. "Freeze!" she shouted firmly, the two froze upon command and lifted their hands, surrendering.

* * *

Their problem was that inhuman pilot of Neo Epyon, Rei; the one who had no soul to call her own at the moment. It took all they had to try to keep her at bay. The two who concentrated their efforts to her in check were Wind and Heero; both knew what to expect from a machine born from Epyon and were putting that knowledge to good use. As Heero fought Rei, Wind kept the Geminis, along with Whitenburg, from interfering or getting into their fighting vicinity. In battle there were no longer any hostilities between them and for that, the other Preventers were happy, not to mention relieved.

The fiery sky was going to darken in less than an hour, and it seemed as if the clouds were starting to gather; they had to hurry but they couldn't do much until Fire and Water finished their missions first. "Dammit!" Wufei cursed as he took the full brunt of a beam rifle from a Gemini II. Extending his dragon fang, he disarmed the machine and proceeded to strategically disassemble it.

"Wufei, stay focused, you're going to overexert yourself if you keep this up," Trowa remarked to his partner.

"I wouldn't have to if those onnas would just hurry up and finish their missions," the furious Chinese youth retorted.

The stoic pilot smiled to himself and switched his communication to his comrades on the other side. "Quatre, Duo, how are you two handling your end of things?"

Over static and muffled groans of pain came a familiar laugh. "What do you think, Trowa?" the braided, maniacal pilot responded as he swung his twin beam scythe at a mobile doll, "We're up to our necks in these things."

"Yeah," Quatre chimed in, agreeing with his partner, "Duo's right; we're barely an hour into the battle but if we continue on like this, we'll lose the war before the sun even sets. Trowa, keep an eye out for any mobile suits that look like they're going to break away from the fighting zone and take them out. And Wufei make sure to provide Trowa with enough coverage while he's doing that."

"Roger that." They affirmed.

"How's Heero doing anyway?" The blond inquired, having lost track of him some time ago.

"By the looks of it, not well," Trowa replied grimly.

* * *

The Neo Epyon took another swing at ZERO with a savageness that almost bordered on desperation. That was how the Seele units worked, causing its bearer to fight as if their life were on the line, as if this would be the last battle, as if there would be no more tomorrow. Tomorrow. The WingZERO pilot was looking forward to that, very, very much: a tomorrow where OZ no longer existed, where he no longer had to fight. However, there were some things he had to take care of first before he could take another step into the future he was imagining; he had to take her down.

"Shit!" the Japanese pilot cursed when he failed to dodge the red beast's heat rod, taking the blow to WingZERO's head, causing him to shift violently in his cockpit. He was getting nowhere; the girl had the Seele units and the ZERO system on her side while he was still held back by human weariness and reflexes. _/Why did I ask them to make the ZERO system's activation __manual? Dammit!/ _If he didn't activate the ZERO system in his own suit soon, he would lose the fight and everything else along with it.

*CLANG*

Their two swords came together; beam sabre against finely tempered Gundanium in a series of sparks and clashes. It was a strange dance that took place both on land and in air. WingZERO lashed forward with its familiar green blade only to have it deflected by that of Neo Epyon's. The angelic Gundam's wings flapped to gain more altitude in an attempt to put some distance between them; however, Epyon was fast and it tailed the other in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. As they soared through the glowing orange sky, the others glanced up now and again, keeping tabs on what transpired between them.

Flying over a particular area of land, the two soon attracted the attentions of about a dozen or so Taurus mobile dolls. They gave chase, a hail of gunfire the only thing acknowledging their presence. With the added threat the WingZERO pilot had no other choice but to seek assistance from the menacing and mentally hazardous program. _/No other paths left open./_ As the ZERO system came to life, it seemed as if time had slowed; mere moments became an expanded lifetime as the youth's mind was being connected to the machine. Once the process was complete, the Gundam took off in an unexpected burst of speed, spiraling in its flight to avoid another shower of artillery shells aimed in its direction. It was like a shooting star, bright, beautiful, and unknowingly dangerous. Personally, the Japanese pilot didn't need the system to accomplish such tasks, but the weariness was taking effect, and he didn't need that factor to drag him down.

Every single shot fired in his direction missed, and the now machine-driven soldier fired a volley from his machine cannon in response, destroying many on impact. _/I have to be able to stay calm. I can't let this thing take hold of me. I have to keep her impressions at bay./ _Doing a U-turn; he made his way back into the fray. Positioning his twin buster rifle, the pilot took aim and unleashed oblivion onto the mobile dolls. Before he was able to confirm his hit, Neo Epyon collided into him, knocking the buster rifle out of ZERO's grip and interlocking their fingers together. In such a situation there was only one thing the two could do: plummet and crash onto the Earth below them.

Down, down, down, they went, still in their dangerous embrace. It was sad that neither felt the impact when they made contact with the ground, sending clouds of dust and pieces of earth into the sky. Both their minds were now wrapped within the confines of the destructive ZERO system. Shaking it off as if it were nothing but a mere scratch, the two got up again. Their swords drawn once more, they resumed their deadly dance. Inside WingZERO, Heero fought with all his might against the images of the crimson-eyed soldier that flooded his psyche. He saw her, dead eyes, pale skin, golden hair, and the small lips from which he wanted words to pour forth. After being inside the Neo Epyon for nine months, Heero knew the ZERO system would acknowledge her as its rightful pilot. It would know which brainwaves belonged inside the suit and which ones didn't and there was nothing familiar about this pilot. To make up for that fact, the system barraged the current pilot with memories, or rather data collected during flights, to see if any would register. None did.

As their swords locked once more, WingZERO kicked Neo Epyon in the midsection, causing it to stagger back several meters. Before the other could recover, it let out a few rounds of fire from its machine cannons, hitting the beast all over. The youth was about to charge again when a transmission interrupted his assault. "Heero?! Heero?!" this quickly snapped the pilot out of his trance and he acknowledged the sender.

"Hn."

"Good," the feminine voice let out a sigh of relief, "this is Water, mission accomplished."

That was all Heero needed to hear. A smile, somewhat sadistic and menacing, crept its way onto his face. Giving a sideways glance to the monitor he saw the mobile dolls deactivate and fall silent. It was now time to really put on the pressure; he had to make her go to her limits, and maybe even beyond. In one swift motion he lunged forward, the attack unexpected, and brought her to the ground. Neo Epyon attempted to get up but was brought down again by a hail of ammo from WingZERO's machine cannons. The assault didn't last long and before Heero was able to close the gap, Neo Epyon burst into the air. The other gave chase, once more resuming their dogfight. _/You won't get away; I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth if I have to. You're mine!/_

* * *

What was wrong with her? Only mere moments ago she was in control. In the blink of an eye her mind had paused, and for the briefest of seconds, everything stopped, only to come back to reality and find that the tables had turned in his favor. There was something wrong. Her mind, it was slower than before, and her reaction time had decreased about 5 percent from its original standings. Something definitely wasn't right, but she couldn't place a finger on it; she was too busy trying to dodge WingZERO's attacks. Adding to the problem was a dull ache in the back of her head that steadily increased as she concentrated harder on maintaining control of the ZERO system.

She cocked her head to the side and caught a glimpse of the accursed Gundam a few meters away. With a quick flick of her wrist, her Gundam spun around and lashed out with the heat rod, catching WingZERO in the face. Her opponent staggered briefly but quickly recovered, opening its machine cannons to deliver a volley of ammunition. Rei was tossed violently inside her cockpit and upon checking the gauges, knew that she had been hit in critical areas. Balance had been lost and while she fought to regain it, she failed to notice that her opponent was dangerously close. Time seemed to have stopped as the two Gundams collided with one another once more.

Off in the distance, their comrades ceased in their attack to watch in silent awe the events that had just transpired. At this point neither side was sure who the victor would be anymore. With the mobile dolls out of service, the numbers became reasonable enough for the Preventer force to deal with. The sound of the two Gundam's hard landing broke them out of their trance and they resumed combat.

Back where Heero and Rei landed, the two proceeded to get up, both their weapons lost in that atmospheric collision. Inside their respective cockpits, both breathed heavily, exhaustion finally setting in... maybe not. They rushed forward, locking hands in a test of strength. Pushing against one another, hoping that the other would relent; both soon realized they were evenly matched. In Heero's mind it was now or never.

"Relena." His deep, soft voice called out.

The name registered in her head, but she wasn't able to discern where she had heard it.

"Relena." It was firmer this time, but still gentle as well.

Who was this pilot calling to? Was it her or was he addressing another one of his comrades?

"The name is Rei," she replied with the same amount of emotion that went into her everyday speech.

"Relena!" The pilot sounded almost as if he were pleading.

What was he trying to do? _/Pain./_ That dull ache residing in her head increased into a throbbing. _/What's going on?/_ It was difficult keeping her mind on her enemy while trying to block out the pain at the same time. _/Enemy! He must be the one causing all this pain./ _Her mind conjured his image and she immediately honed onto his deep Prussian blue eyes. A chill ran up her spine and she winced at the feeling. Feeling. It was a strange sense of recognition like the time in the prisoner's cell. She was feeling him again, that odd sensation of trust, strength, and hope. His face appeared again, smiling, or showing something that could possibly pass as a smile. She felt warmth, happiness, and a tinge of sadness. _/What's... happening... to me?... Pain./_ Again, her mind was barraged with that throbbing pain, but still she fought on for control. "Wha-Ahhh!"

_*FLASHBACK*_

_There was an audience of what looked to be diplomats and aristocrats sitting in a large room, staring at a young girl in a formal white dress with a red sash across her chest and abdomen. It was silent and her eyes shifted, on accident, to the balcony. She came face to face with HIM. He had donned an OZ uniform and was aiming a gun in her direction. /Heero./ Her mind acknowledged with regret and fear, her eyes almost pleading with his to shoot her._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Relena." The voice sounded concerned, but if this was the same person in that scene then it shouldn't have sounded so.

"What are you doing to-Unhhh!"

_*FLASHBACK*_

_The two youths were walking down a dark corridor when the boy suddenly halted. His head moved to the left and right, sensing something. The girl asked him what was wrong, but before she could say anything more, he shouted, "Get down and cover your head! Peacemillion is about to crash into us!" Before the girl had time to react, the area shook violently and a body covered hers, acting as a shield. Minutes passed before the girl shifted, and the weight on top of her lifted. She turned around and her eyes took in the handsome and stern face of the boy, his concerned Prussian blue eyes before they darted to the wound on his arm._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

Her breathing was labored and the girl frantically tried to sort out the distorted images and feelings flooding her mind.

"Fight it." This time there was determination underlining his words.

"You are the enemy! Ugh!"

_*FLASHBACK*_

_At the balcony of a school a boy stood with his back and arms against the stone rails. His face seemed to stare off into space while a group of girls watched him from the side. One of the girls, a blonde with blue-green eyes, walked up to him and handed him a card. The words the girl said were unheard as he took the invitation from her hand. Suddenly, without warning, the boy ripped the paper in half. Tears threatened to form in the girl's eyes as she asked him 'Why?'. Before a single drop could fall he reached out his hand towards her face and took it away._

_ "Omae o korosu."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Relena, please..." He was pleading again.

"Who are you talking t-Argh!"

"You're stronger than this. Fight it. Break free."

_*FLASHBACK*_

_A youth with unruly dark brown hair was typing away at a computer terminal, exchanging words with a blonde-haired girl sitting nearby. His concentration solely on his work; his face tensed when the girl spoke. Getting up, he turned to address her._

_ "Don't make me repeat it; I'm nothing compared to you."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"What are you trying to d-Ahhh, my head!" Neo Epyon's body slumped but desperately held its ground.

"Come back to us, Relena... Come back to me..." The last few words trailed off into a whisper.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_As WingZERO stood in the middle of a large and empty room, the only occupants that could be seen were that of a young boy and girl. They both stood in front of the Gundam's open cockpit, staring into each other's eyes as they exchanged words. The girl held a look of worry while the boy held one of reassurance._

_"If you live through this, there will be peace," the boy said as he brought his helmet closer to hers. If not for the helmets one could have sworn that their lips would touch, even if it were the slightest of butterfly touches. _

_The boy smiled once more and without warning he pushed the girl away. As she floated further from his presence he mouthed a few words only she was able to hear._

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Believe in me," the girl breathed out softly, recalling those words clearly.

"I do," Heero reassured in a soft voice just as he had done when they were on Libra.

Rei's eyes widened then everything seemed to turn a blinding white. "AAAAAHHHHHH!"

* * *

Unknown to the two their conversation had been tapped into by the Preventers, Whitenburg, and Dereks. When the blood-curdling scream pierced their com-links, everything seemed to stop. Sandrock ceased his attack and dropped the hands that held the heat shotels. Deathscythe Hell responded in kind and lowered his twin beam scythe, pivoting its head in the direction of the scream. On the other side of the field, Heavyarms turned its head towards Altron, the other retracting its dragon fang in response. Yet again, in another area of the battlefield Tallgeese III and a Gemini II froze; their pilots paralyzed with fear.

"Rei!" "Relena!" They shouted simultaneously, thrusters and jet engines flaring they raced to reach the destination in time.

* * *

Heero sat quietly in his cockpit closely monitoring the Neo Epyon. He was afraid after he'd heard her death cry. His brows furrowed in deep concern and he was about to call to her again when he caught sight of Neo Epyon's cockpit door opening even though its chest was pointed towards the ground. The Japanese pilot saw hand movements and the truth dawned on him. Quickly undoing his own straps with frantic anxiety, he opened the cockpit door, but it was too late. The girl had managed to undo her safety straps and tumbled out towards the ground. She desperately tried to shift her body in order to land on her feet, but failed miserably. Her legs gave out beneath her and she fell on her side, rolling a meter or so away before the snow cushioned and halted her tumble. With his cockpit door now open, Heero jumped down to join her on the ground, landing with the grace of a cat. He ran towards the girl and saw her slowly getting up, staggering a bit as she did so. Her hand on her helmet, she was trying to push back the pain that continued to rack her psyche as she wobbled on unsteady legs. Then the icy rains came, unexpected and unwanted - even more so when the sleet turned into snow.

He tried to reach out for her, but she lashed out with a punch, which he dodged easily. She came back with a kick to his head but he just ducked to avoid it. Both her hands were now on her helmet, suppressing the images, the pain, the emotions that she was feeling from his presence. In anger, something that she shouldn't have felt, she threw another punch. He dodged it, but failed to do so again when she swung her arm backwards, giving him a harsh backhand that sent the both of them sprawling to the ground. As they got back up, both drew their guns from their waist holsters and trained them on each other. The two stood there, daring the other to shoot, to end it all. The silence was nerve-racking and Heero couldn't take it anymore.

"It all ends here!" Heero spat out vehemently through his clenched teeth, but there was pain in his eyes, "One of us will not leave this battlefield alive! Whether or not you or I live, there will be a tomorrow! There will be an end to this bloodshed."

"Acknowledged," the girl replied emotionlessly. Her grip on the gun tightened and her finger moved to pull the trigger. _/::NO!::/_ The voice inside her head screamed and, unconsciously, she threw the gun away from her, both hands now on the helmet. The girl staggered a few steps backwards and forwards and then threw her helmet off violently, hands now directly on her head. Her fingers dug through hair as she let out a silent cry. Weak from the fight her arms fell to her sides while her knees buckled once more, collapsing forward. Faster than one could have imagined, Heero ran and caught her before she could hit the ground. The girl shivered and he whispered soothing words, brushing aside the golden strands of hair that stuck to her face.

They just sat there with her cradled in his arms, while the explosions and gunfire lit up the sky behind them. Slowly, the girl's eyes fluttered open, and Heero gasped at the sight. Even as the sun neared the horizon, bathing their battleground in darkness, there was still enough light to discern a few things; one of those being the color of her eyes. They were no longer the empty blood red but a sad marine blue. "Relena," Heero choked out as he gripped her body tighter.

"He-Heero?" she responded, still dazed and confused; her eyes went wide as realization came upon her. "Oh God, w-what have I done?" She brought her hands up to look at them while tears flowed unbidden down her pale cheeks. "AAHHHHH!" another scream tore from her throat and she pushed the Japanese pilot away. She got up and tried to run away but only managed to stumble after a few steps. Then everything went black.

* * *

They were almost there, Wind and Whitenburg, ignoring the fighting that continued on around them. Their minds solely focused on the Epyon pilot; they were unaware of the third party that joined them; a Gemini II that had broken from its fight with Sandrock to trail the two. All three were pushing their mobile suits to the limits, engines blazing at full force, driven by fear, anxiety, desperation, anger, and need.

* * *

The first thing that came into her field of vision was a soft brown haze. Focusing more closely she was able to make out button eyes and a small red ribbon. _/Where am I?/_ Her stomach twisted and she feared that she would fall forward, unconscious. Surprisingly something held her back; looking down at her body she saw herself strapped to the seat inside a mobile suit. Fear. She couldn't be back inside the Neo Epyon! Could she? Frantically looking to her left and right, her gaze suddenly rested on the seat in front of her. _/Wait a minute, mobile suit cockpits only have one seat inside of them./_ Studying it more closely she made out chocolate brown spikes; she knew she was inside WingZERO. "Heero?"

"Hn?"

"Why?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"You're still needed... and I can't control WingZERO with Epyon's ZERO system in it. You'll neutralize the effects while I pilot it," he stated matter-of-factly.

"No," was the quick response, "the bear."

"... I thought it would help calm your mind."

"Oh... Thank you, Heero."

"..."

* * *

Somehow Whitenburg managed to get to the spot first, quickly taking in the scene before him. Next to him was Neo Epyon, cockpit door open, pilot absent, dead; to the left WingZERO was coming back to life as its green eyes flared. His jaws tightened and without a second thought, he opened Gemini II's entrance, unfastened himself and in one amazing leap, he crossed the gap that lay between him and the sleeping red beast. In another minute the man was inside and everything was turned on; he'd awaken the monster. Unaccustomed to the feel of the ZERO system, he allowed the program to take over his mind. Seconds too late were Wind and Dereks who could do nothing but watch as the Neo Epyon moved towards them.

_/What is he doing?/_ Heero wondered when he saw the other man's action. _/There's no way he can control the ZERO system, especially since it's mine. He's going to get himself killed! What the hell is he thinking?/_ Taking a quick glance back to check on Relena, he moved to intercept the General. Unaware that the com-link between his Gundam and the other was still active, he was caught by surprise when the other man spoke.

"Where is she?!" Whitenburg demanded throwing a punch at the angelic Gundam. WingZERO dodged but its pilot remained silent. "Give her back!" the OZ General ordered as he swung the heat rod at his opponent.

"She doesn't belong to you," Heero countered delivering a kick to Epyon's midsection as he fired his machine cannons.

Whitenburg made to lash out at WingZERO again with Epyon's heat rod but Tallgeese intercepted the attack, blocking it with his shield. Assessing his situation and realizing he was outnumbered, Epyon took to the air in an attempt to put some distance between them and to also find its discarded heat sword. Tallgeese and WingZERO soon gave chase.

"Don't think that I'll let you escape!" Zechs yelled as he fired his Vulcan cannons.

Epyon spiraled in its flight, dodging the bullets by a hair's width. Scanning the ground he soon spotted a large shinning object on the ground and flew down to retrieve the wayward weapon. Noticing that WingZERO was about to overtake him, he swung the heat rod back and knocked the other Gundam off its flight course. Mere moments later, he reclaimed his sword along with his fervor for the fight.

Tallgeese ejected his spare beam sabre and threw it to WingZERO who caught it deftly before activating it. The three of them came to a standstill as they each worked to strategize a way to win the battle.

Inside WingZERO, Heero turned back to look at Relena as she clutched the stuffed bear, mind concentrating on the ZERO system. Having her there had greatly reduced the strain the system had placed on his psyche and he renewed his resolve to end this war. "We're giving you one last chance. Surrender now or be destroyed."

Whitenburg answered by swinging his heat sword at Heero who parried with his beam sabre. "I'm never going to surrender!" He shouted furiously. "Now I'm going to ask you once again. Where is she!?" He saw Tallgeese preparing to strike and made ready to block when a Gemini II performed the task for him. "About time you showed up Dereks."

The other man snorted as he fired his double beam cannon at the Preventer. "You really need to learn how to say 'thank you'."

Leaving his friend to Tallgeese, Whitenburg resumed his assault on WingZERO. It was clear to all that he possessed unparalleled piloting capabilities and he relentlessly drove WingZERO back, refusing to give him any quarter. However, for all his efforts he could tell the ZERO system was starting to wrest control of his sanity away from him. As time continued to tick by both remained unrelenting as they moved to swing, block, and parry, having run out of ammo long ago. Frustrated at the stalemate he'd found himself in he flew at his opponent; thrusters roaring, he rammed into WingZERO.

"AAHHHH!" Relena's frightened scream caused the other man to cease in his assault.

"Rei?!"

"Stop this now!" Heero commanded in his dangerous voice. "You've lost! So why are you still doing this?"

"... Anna," he whispered subconsciously, remembering the girl of his past.

"..." For the first time since the battle began, Heero recalled what Dorothy had said to him the previous night.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_"He's a man still in mourning, Yuy," Dorothy said with a stern expression, "the Gundams took from him the only thing he had ever considered important."_

_ "And what's that?" the youth sounded annoyed._

_"His hope, Yuy," her voice contained something akin to compassion though he was doubtful of it, "Anna Weilheilm was his hope, the only thing that kept him going during his life. They'd been together since childhood, protecting and caring for one another. He loved her more than his own life and would have done anything to see her happy. When she died during the battle at New Edwards, the most important part of himself died as well."_

_ "What does that have to do with me?" came the cold reply._

_"... When Colonel Une delivered that speech on L1, she said something about not losing hope."_

_ "So?" he was getting really impatient._

_"Think about it, Yuy," she quickly snapped, "Miss Relena is hope, isn't she? What would you do if you lost her?" There was silence. "I thought as much."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

Heero felt his heart constrict as he reached a new level of understanding for his enemy, and suddenly, he didn't want to fight anymore. There had been too much bloodshed already and he wanted to partake of it no more. Looking back at Relena, sad eyes smiling at the girl clutching the stuffed bear close to her form, he powered down the Gundam with the exception of the com-link.

"What are you doing?!" Wind yelled, "You're supposed to be protecting Relena!"

"I am," the Gundam pilot retorted, his voice lacking its usual edge.

"Fight me, Heero Yuy!" Whitenburg screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Are you going to risk losing her again?" Heero quickly interjected, somber.

"... Unh!..." The images of the young Foreign Minister cascaded into his mind; the smiling face of a young girl handing a card to the person in front of her, eyes radiating hope. Another image of the same girl, now sad and on the verge of tears as she watched a scene in front of her, popped up. Many more appeared as well, all provided from memories courtesy of WingZERO's pilot. Whitenburg couldn't say anything as his knuckles turned white from his death grip on the controls. Soon her face was replaced with that of a similar but more mature blonde with shorter hair and smiling eyes.

"He's right Julian," Dereks voice joined in, "... I hate to say it... but we've already lost..." It was hard to mistake the bitterness in his voice. "The mobile doll unit has been taken out of commission and we've already lost more than half of the remaining mobile suits..." He closed his eyes as he lowered the Geminis weapons. "... It has to end... this has gone on for far too long... It's time to let go... before history repeats itself."

"..." Whitenburg shut his eyes as the memories bombarded his mind. It was starting to become too difficult to fight back though he tried desperately to hold on. He swung the sword a few more times in an attempt to destroy an unseen enemy. The others easily dodged his haphazard movements and continued to maintain their distance.

"Anna never wanted you to end up this way..." the OZ Captain continued. "I'm sorry that I never saw the light earlier, but now I have... There... there has been too much heartache... too much pain... for all of us."

And yes, it had been too much and his mind was finally accepting that truth. Unsuccessfully he tried to hold back his tears as he halted Epyon's movements. Minutes flew by and all four mobile suits were at a standstill, unsure of how to proceed with the present situation. Inside Epyon's cockpit he cried silently, contemplating the future that lay ahead of him but soon realized with bitter clarity that he had no desire to live in a future that didn't have her in it. _/Anna... Es tut mir leid... ich liebe dich.../ _"... You're right..." Whitenburg finally announced with restrained sorrow. "It will end... alles... I suggest you all leave... unless you want to join me," the older man serenely stated.

"What are you talking about, Julian," Dereks' voice wavered as the truth dawned on him, "You couldn't mean... Mein Gott, Julian, no!"

"We have to get out of here!" a serious Wind commanded as he activated his engines and thrusters. Heero did the same, but remained silent as he departed.

"Julian, you don't have to do this!" the brown-eyed man pleaded. "Scheisse! Just walk away!"

"... I've tried," the man's voice choked out, "but all I've ever wanted was to be with her. You have no idea how many nights I've spent dreaming of her warm body next to mine only to wake up to the cold reality of her death." His once intimidating persona had finally crumbled as he unleashed all the pain he'd held over the years. "We'd promised to build a life together… I have no future if it's not with her… Go, you need not be a part of this... this is my path... Please, Samuel, live."

"But I promised her I'd make sure you'd stay alive until the end! I'm not going back on my word to her! Come on, just let go!" Samuel screamed in desperation, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.

"It's already the end... " Whitenburg replied calmly. "And I want... I want to thank you for accompanying me until this time. Now go, before your life is frivolously wasted."

"But-"

"I won't change my mind."

"... Fine," he answered bitterly and remorsefully. Starting up the engines again, he flew away, still gazing upon the form of Neo Epyon. Tears flowed down his cheeks, but he made no attempt to wipe them away, his face set in stone. Through the tears he remained unfazed when the red monster glowed before exploding, sending up fire and smoke that could be seen a kilometer away. A beautiful, smiling face with warm blue eyes and shoulder length golden hair was the last thing the General saw before everything became white then black. The remaining OZ suits ceased to move, finally surrendering now that their charismatic leader was gone. The sun had set as well, bringing to a close the final chapter of a sad life.

"Auf Wiedersehen die Ewigkeit... mein freunde."

* * *

The sky was a dreary shade of gray, mixed in with the off whites of passing clouds. The icy sleet was relentless though the land gladly welcomed its arrival. There wasn't a living creature in sight, save for the few pedestrians running to seek shelter under anything they could find. Among them was a lone, lithe figure, dressed in a white blouse and a long Burgundy skirt. The small form was unprotected from the assaulting shower, having no umbrella in its possession.

A few honey blonde tresses clung to her face while the rest hung at her back. Her clothes stuck to her body like a second skin and she received a few off-handed glances from passersby. She was definitely a strange sight to behold. Even disregarding the lack of sunlight and the distorting effects of the rain, the people still wouldn't have been able to recognize their Foreign Minister. Regardless, she continued on her unknown path, eyes downcast, seeming to ignore the downpour. She felt nothing; not the searing cold, not the pounding raindrops, not even the stinging winter wind that normally sent chills down one's spine.

She was no longer the same person prior to the whole ordeal. This young leader had changed so much, both physically and mentally. Normally, she would be running about seeking sanctuary like the rest, but things were different now. Her body was now hard, toned, and impervious to whatever Mother Nature would throw her way. The training she unknowingly endured during the nine and a half months of her captivity had paid off, to her liking or not. Though her body had become stronger, her mind was a different matter. The storm raging outside was nothing compared to the turbulent one residing within her. It was full of sorrow, despair, anxiety, fear, hopelessness, and all the other monsters released from Pandora's box.

The time she had lost was something she could never regain. Time she could have used to further her cause in bringing peace, in strengthening the relationship with her brother, her friends, the time she could have used to organize her life... gone. If she could, she would have cried and let the tears roll down her face, but she couldn't. She'd already cried enough during those sleepless nights when snippets of her secret life came to the forefront. They had stolen so much from her and had given her superficial things.

As she continued in her slow and silent vigil, ignoring more sideway glances, a bench came into her field of vision. She wasn't tired, but decided it was useless to go on with no destination in mind. Decision made, she resigned herself to sit down on the rain-drenched furnishing. Sitting squarely in the middle, her form held still; hands clasped together in her lap, eyes downcast. _/Who am I? I don't even know anymore... Zechs and Noin say that everything will be alright; that I just need some time to re-adjust to this new situation... but it's not that simple. How can they still look at me that way when they know about all the people I've killed... all the lives I've taken... all the pain I've caused?... How can I still look at myself?/_Subconsciously, she turned to the side to stare at her reflection in a nearby puddle. Her face was somber, her lips set in a frown, her eyes... marine blue... sad...

* * *

Six hours earlier at an E.S.U.N. conference...

Though the immense auditorium was filled to high capacity level, not a murmur was whispered between them. The people were giving their full attention to the man behind the podium. When the members of the E.S.U.N., diplomats, representatives, and the press entered, they had no idea what to expect. They'd caught their breaths, stunned, when the President of the E.S.U.N announced that their beloved Foreign Minister Darlian had been found and would address them all that very same night. He had been discreet on the details, probably as unsure about the entire thing as they were, and stuck with the usual introductions and routine summation of the state of affairs. After twenty minutes, the man's speech finally came to an end.

"I know the past twelve months or so have been a time filled with much tension and regrets for all of us. I'm sorry to say that it was a reflection of how we, as human beings, can sometimes lose control of our own senses and judgment," he paused to straighten his tie and shuffle his papers. "Before I let the Foreign Minister take the lectern, I would like to impart a few words of advice to all of you. Although there has been much disagreement in the past, and many things have been done that cannot be easily forgiven or forgotten, I hope that these matters can still be settled amicably. We are at a crossroads now and must ask ourselves: do we want to be shackled down by the past or do we break free to explore the possibilities ahead. We no longer need to hold grudges over past disputes and should instead work together to forge a new future for humanity. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen."

As the audience clapped with approval, the President bowed and stepped away from the podium. He waited until a young woman dressed in a light blue suit appeared from the side curtains. The older man walked over to embrace her, giving her a peck on the cheek, like a father to his daughter. "I'm glad to have you back. Don't worry, you'll do fine." The man whispered those words of encouragement in her ears, unaware of all the turmoil that she had been through. She knew he meant well so she gave a forced smile in return. Her few, but heavily crammed, years in politics allowed her to effectively mask her true feelings. The girl wasn't proud of that fact, but she was glad of the useful purposes it served.

After they parted, the Foreign Minister took her position behind the podium, giving a reassuring glance at the older man once she was there. Her eyes were downcast as she adjusted the microphone and tidied her papers. Giving a soft sigh, she forced her face into that of a stern politician and began.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_"Relena, are you sure about this?" Zechs inquired with concerned eyes. "They don't have to know; it doesn't concern them and their lives won't be affected in any way if you choose not to say anything." Both his hands were on her shoulders: firm, gentle, and comforting._

_Relena looked up into his kind face and she frowned sadly. "They need to know, Milliardo. Those people trust me to ensure the peace and they are the ones to decide for themselves whether or not I am worthy of that trust. In order for that to happen, they have to know what kind of person I am; what I've been through and what I'm capable of," she stopped and averted her eyes when she felt the tears threaten to spill. The lithe girl looked back up, her eyes almost pleading with her brother's. "They deserve to know, Milliardo. They put so much of their trust in me; I have to make sure it's well placed. If I don't tell them, then it's the same as lying. They don't need that, not after all they've gone through."_

_"But what about everything you've been through?" the elder Peacecraft's question stung and pained her heart. She hung her head low, longer holding any value or respect for her own life._

_"One life, especially mine, does not matter compared to the lives of the many," she whispered so softly that those around her weren't able to register it. "I've always been a puppet to peace, whatever they decide for me, I will comply. That's what's best for everyone..."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"Ladies and gentlemen," she began firmly; setting all fears, "I know that you all have questions concerning my whereabouts during the last ten and a half months. I will not lie to you, because I know you deserve much more than that; however, what I have to tell you might turn you against me… and I am willing to deal with that, but I hope that you can also forgive me." Relena halted in her speech, taking a deep breath to calm and steady her body.

"As you all may have known, during the past month or so, there have been numerous reports of a Gundam attacking several military bases situated around Earth," she raised her hand to quiet the audience when they erupted with gasps and whispers. "Please do not jump to conclusions as to who was behind the attack. They were not the actions of the Gundam pilots that took part in the Eve Wars and subsequently saved our lives when Libra threatened humanity."

"How do you know that?!" an unknown voice shouted from the seats in the auditorium.

"I can assure you that they were not the party responsible... because I was the one who carried out those attacks." Unsurprisingly, the crowd gasped, shocked by what she had said, and started to converse amongst themselves. Relena waited, knowing they needed time to absorb the news. Once they had hushed minutely she continued, no matter how difficult it was to do so. "Approximately twelve months ago, I was kidnapped by an OZ faction that had yet to be disbanded. From then on I become the subject of one of their experiments which I will not go into detail as of now. I have already submitted that data to the members of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, and I'm certain they are eager to look at it, especially after what I have just said. They will disclose everything to you once they've read it over… I'm sorry for not being strong enough to prevent this from happening, but I'm even sorrier for letting them capture me in the first place..." She stopped as another memory bombarded her.

_*FLASHBACK*_

_"... you're too careless when you do things like this. If I were an assassin you'd be dead by now."_

_*END FLASHBACK*_

"A friend once told me that I was too careless with my actions and I'm sorry to say I only realized it after I was captured," the young Minister tried to force another smile, but her eyes betrayed the false sentimentality. "I guess I was being selfish; I should correct that flaw of mine." It came out sarcastically and she hoped no one picked up on it. _/Maybe I'm not as ready for this as I originally thought... I still harbor too much resentment and despair... they probably see through this false bravado... I still need time./_

"Foreign Minister Darlian," it was the President of the E.S.U.N. who had spoken up from his seat in the front row, "I think that I speak for a majority of the people here by saying that it doesn't matter. To us you are still Foreign Minister Darlian; you've given us hope just by showing everyone how much the new generation desires peace and hard they're willing to achieve a brighter future for us all. I'm ashamed by the fact that we've done nothing but burden you with responsibilities a young woman your age should not be thinking of. We've unfairly placed the task of maintaining peace upon your shoulders without real thought or consideration. Instead of worrying about the lives of those both in space and on Earth, you should be enjoying the peace you've helped earn." The sudden sounds of agreement made him stop for a moment.

"Whatever that OZ faction did to you, it doesn't change who you really are; we can see it in your eyes. If you had meant to cause any harm then your eyes wouldn't be showing the sadness, regret, and pain I am seeing right now. You were obviously turned into something against your will and we understand that you feel unworthy to hold your office because of that. Well, it doesn't matter to us; we would be truly happy to have you retain the position of Foreign Minister, if you wish to continue. We trust that you will make the right decision about your position-"

"I disagree!" Came a shout from the back of the auditorium, followed by a growing murmur of consensus. "There's no telling what OZ has done to her! For all we know, she could be some sort of sleeper agent! If we let her do as she pleases there may come a time where she'll turn against us and potentially destroy our government!" The whispers grew louder and louder and soon the room was filled with competing choruses; those for and against the Foreign Minister's resignation.

The President stood up and faced the crowd. Staring into the sea of faces he stood, unwavering, demanding silence from all those in attendance. "I understand the concerns that many of you harbor even though I may not agree with them. So in light of this situation the E.S.U.N. shall hold an emergency meeting and vote in regards to Foreign Minister Darlian's term in office." He surveyed the audience and saw no signs of objection. He shook his head and sighed. "I really wish it hadn't come to this. I had hoped that we could have united together in solidarity and give support to the one person who, more than anyone else at the moment, needs it. I personally believe in Foreign Minister Darlian's strong spirit and sense of resolve. I trust her completely."

"You shouldn't!" The young woman in question suddenly snapped. "You shouldn't trust me because I don't think that I can even trust myself... I am no longer certain of what I am capable of... the only thing I really know for sure is that I can kill..."_/Why can't you people understand that?/_

* * *

The rain had not ceased its assault, but the Minister remained stationary on the park bench. She'd lost track of the time and no longer knew how long it had been since she had changed out of her blue suit and left the hotel. She was at a loss, the clouds sprawled across the sky made it difficult to discern the time of day. She was like a child that had strayed off the path set for her. _/I can't believe they voted to keep me in office... Fools... What am I going to do now? I'm still their Foreign Minister, but not the same as the one over ten months ago... How can they still trust me?... How?/_ It had been several minutes before she realized that the rain was no longer pelting against her body. Shifting her gaze from the hands she held in her lap to the pavement, she took in a pair of brown boots and dark blue jeans. Looking higher still, she saw the familiar Preventer jacket covering a white V-neck sweater. Higher yet she saw **HIM**, holding an umbrella over her soaking form.

"It's dangerous to be out here alone."

_/He's becoming too predictable for his own good... Oh Heero, how can you still protect me knowing what kind of person I've become?/_ Relena was silent and averted her gaze from his. "I know, but I just… needed some fresh air." She lied. The girl had really wanted to get away from the people who'd bombard her with endless questions while giving her pitying looks.

"C'mon." He held out a hand to her and waited. Relena looked into his eyes and saw something she had not previously seen before. A minute passed before she hesitantly took his offered hand and was pulled off the bench. He looked deep into her eyes, searching for something, before he started to lead her in the direction the she'd originally headed in. She waited a second before following closely behind him.

"You didn't need to bother with the umbrella, you know," she stated noncommittally. "The wind and rain… I can barely feel them… or anything for that matter..." Her voice became bitter and her face seemed set in stone. Her insecurities swirled tumultuously within her mind and he was the last person she'd wanted to bear witness to her mental breakdown. "Why are you here, Heero?" She questioned impatiently, desperate to be alone and away from what she felt were judging stares. "I'm more than capable of protecting myself nowadays; the training I endured guaranteed me that much."

"…Just thought you might like someone to talk to." The voice was the familiar cold and monotone one she'd remembered. "I'm here if you're willing." A slight tinge of compassion.

"Are you really?"

"Yeah." His tone was softer this time.

The girl waited, contemplating, before she resigned to confide in him. Despite what she had thought earlier that morning, she really needed someone to comfort her. "I really appreciate that." She received a grunt in reply. "I'm not sure who I am anymore, Heero… After everything that's happened, I can no longer distinguish Relena from Rei… Everything she went through, I went through; the fact that I am unable to clearly remember is irrelevant."

"Are you scared that Rei could become a hidden part of you?" He inquired patiently. "That she would stay dormant inside you and come out without warning and harm people? Or are you afraid of the fact that you've become capable of harming others, with or without Rei's influence? Or are you scared of the new abilities that you've acquired?" His questions seemed to touch at every corner of her brain and she nodded, a 'yes' to all of the above.

"I never thought I would be capable of hurting people… of killing them, but my time with OZ has set aside all doubts I ever had on that subject." She held her arm out in front of her as they continued to walk and slowly motioned her hand open and close. The muscles that moved beneath her skin set her mind aflame with anger.

"You just have to control yourself and be more careful about how you handle things from now on," he replied with his back still turned to her. "Of course, you never really had a problem with that before."

"What if I can't!" she screamed with distress.

"I'm able to do so; I know that you can as well." Heero's voice sounded aloof though he tried hard to be sincere.

"I haven't had the years of experience that you have," she countered back still a few steps behind him. "Besides, the experience that I've acquired, I can barely even recall. My mind's in such a state of chaos and the people still think that it's not a matter they shouldn't concern themselves with. They don't know the danger I pose to them..." She laughed bitterly as a thought occurred to her. "Maybe they do know and they're just waiting for me to make a mistake that will bring about my ruin..." Shaking her head she knew that wasn't the case. "They're putting too much of their trust in me... they're doing it blindly... and I know that one day they'll regret it."

Heero didn't answer right away, instead he just kept walking, not bothering to look back to see if she was still following behind. "I agree with them, Relena," he finally spoke, unable to see the look of surprise on her face. "If you can barely remember what you did then it's not a part of you. You are still the same person that you were before OZ. If you were never told about what had transpired, then you wouldn't have suspected anything out of the ordinary."

"You're saying that you would have preferred that I remained ignorant about this?!"

"No." He corrected her. "Just that you wouldn't have pursued the matter any further if you had been spared the details."

"But I killed, Heero!" a soundless sob escaped her lips. "I killed so many people! I know because when my memory crossed with Rei's, I saw all the death and destruction I'd wrought onto the world. Their screams still reverberate through my ears whenever I sleep. I can't get them out of my head… and I'm scared of them."

He whirled around without warning, surprising Relena. His eyes transfixed themselves on hers, holding her gaze. "You weren't the one doing the killing." He declared firmly but harshly. "You were just a vessel for that monster OZ created."

"That doesn't make it justified! Killing is never justified!" she yelled in protest. "Killing is killing... and I killed so many..." The young politician could no longer hold his gaze, deciding that it was better to look upon gray concrete instead of Prussian blue. A warm hand grabbed hers and her head shot up in surprise, realizing that it was Heero's.

"Come with me." The Japanese pilot said gently, tugging at her arm. She nodded and allowed herself to be led away. The two proceeded to walk in silence to a destination known only to the WingZERO pilot. Neither knew what to say to diffuse the tension, but the youth refused to release his hold on her hand. A lifetime seemingly passed by before the young man decided to press the issue. "Are you disappointed in me... because I've killed?"

Her eyes widened in shock, and she quickly objected his statement. "No! Of course not! Why would you think that I'd be disappointed in you? You killed because you had no other choice-"

"There is always a choice, Relena," he cut in, remembering Zechs' words. "I chose to fight; I chose to kill. Like you said before, killing is never justified."

"But... you only did it because of your desire to help the colonies," she lowered her voice as well as her gaze. "You've sacrificed so much for the people... you've done nothing but sacrifice yourself ever since you became a Gundam pilot… ever since the wars began."

"And you've done the same." He remonstrated. "You've practically sacrificed your own happiness in order to give the people theirs. How is my case different from yours?" He waited patiently for her answer.

"It just is..." It was a weak response and she knew it.

"Relena," he gave her hand a gently squeeze. "The hardest thing to do after a war is learning to let go. Healing is never easy but it's not impossible. Nothing is impossible… you showed me that. The people are more than willing to support you and so are the Preventers and pilots... and me... We're here." His last words caught her by surprise and she saw that he leading her off the pavement and onto grassy grounds. The rain had stopped half an hour earlier and the sky was beginning to clear, though still a hazy mixture of grays and lavender. It took some time, but she was able to distinguish the area as one of the hills that overlooked the former Sanc Kingdom. He continued to pull at her arm until they reached a spot near a tree that hung over the hill's edge. Though still bare it was already starting to show signs of new life as young buds lay scattered on its thin branches.

Setting down the umbrella, Heero took off his jacket and neatly set it on the moist grass. With a slight gesture, Relena wordlessly moved to take a seat on the makeshift blanket, drawing her knees up. The Japanese pilot followed and sat right behind her; his legs enclosing her thin frame as his arms made to wrap around her narrow shoulders. She was enveloped by a sense of comfort and leaned back into his chest, feeling the warmth of his body. Until that point she hadn't realized how cold it had been; his body pressed closer to hers to give what little heat he had. Her mind, for the first time in days, felt at peace as her fears were kept at bay.

"Heero, I don't know what to do," she finally admitted. "I've never felt so lost before..."

"People are never truly lost until they run out of choices," he chided gently. "Life was never easy for any of us. We both gave up so much to ensure that others wouldn't have to follow in our footsteps. At times the choices we made and the things we surrendered only served to cause more problems. There were times where I'd question whether my fighting was all in vain... if the life I was living really mattered to anyone…" He paused briefly, memories cascading inside his mind. He sighed.

"I'd always believed that from the moment I was born, I was lost," Heero confided in her. "With no direction to go and nothing to offer I felt that my only worth laid in becoming a pawn to be sacrificed to the war. However, during the war I realized that I could do so much more… I'd unknowingly discovered a path that led to a future I'd originally thought was denied to me. This was a path that you made possible, Relena." He tightened his embrace and lowered his head onto her shoulder. "Remember back then in the garden when I told you that if you ever needed help, I would be there...? That I would do all I could to make your dreams and visions come true… that when they did, I would do everything within my power to protect them as best I can. I meant it when I said those things. I believe in your abilities, Relena... I always have… However long it takes, I'll be there for you… I promise."

The girl held her breath, her mind awash with indescribable feelings of warmth that chased away all her insecurities. Seconds passed before she managed to reorganize her thoughts and emotions. Once calm, the young politician assessed what the young man had declared moments earlier. _/Heero... I-if you're really willing to walk this path with me... then.../_ "Where do we go from here?"

He smiled and moved his right hand to point forward towards the city before them. She followed the length of his arm to gaze upon what had captured his attention. Right there in front of them, the sun had finally broken through the barrier of clouds, splashing them with its heavenly light: oranges, reds, yellows, and whites. The fiery orb lit the sky with blazing colors and with it, the city seemed to come to life. It was the signal for the start of a new day, another chance at life. "To the future of your dreams," he replied with a smile on his lips.

She turned her head to face him. As she did so her lips accidentally brushed against his for the briefest of seconds. Surprised and embarrassed, she drew back with wide eyes, a light blush adorning her cheeks. He saw her reaction and smiled gently to reassure her that he hadn't minded which caused her to return a smile of her own. The girl closed her eyes and shook her head. Confused he made to ask for clarification but she opened her eyes once more to answer his unspoken question. "No, Heero... if we're to go anywhere... it'll be to a future built on both of our dreams."

-owari-

* * *

Author's Note: If you're wondering about the teddy bear in WingZERO's cockpit it's the one that Heero originally gave to Relena for her birthday. Remember when Quatre told Duo that Heero wouldn't show up until the fighting started because he had something to do? Well that something was going to Relena's residence and appropriating the stuffed bear. Why? Because Heero knew that it held great sentimental value for her and that it would distinctly remind Relena of him so she'd be able to adapt to the situation more quickly.

I also changed a lot of dialogue because honestly speaking it was kind of crappy. I must have written the original at like 4 am in the morning or something because a lot of it did not flow right.


	18. Epilogue: Tomorrow

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Sunrise, Sotsu, Bandai, and other companies that have slipped my mind.

Warnings: Nothing much really. It's pretty tame, unlike the previous chapter.

A.N: When I reread the original version of this epilogue I noticed how rushed it felt. While I don't want it to be as long as the last few chapters were I thought that it really needed to be fleshed out a bit more. Hope you enjoyed this reworking as much as I did.

**ZERO SOUL**

Epilogue: Tomorrow

By: Vegie-kun

The rain eventually let up over the next week and today it was nothing more than a light drizzle as it softly caressed the earth. On days like this, the country was truly beautiful. The people were more than overjoyed to have their beloved Foreign Minister back, fighting for their welfare and championing their causes like she'd always done in the past. To them she was a pillar, a support structure for their fragile society and the symbol for balance and peace. Her presence had helped dissipate the tensions between the remaining OZ faction and the E.S.U.N; as the days got brighter so did the situation. The E.S.U.N and Preventers, at Relena's urging, agreed that the majority of the soldiers within were to be given light sentences. She'd wanted to extend an olive branch to them in an attempt to stop the senseless cycle of hate and revenge that had been behind the last war. Although they'd initially objected the idea, she had reasoned that with Whitenburg's death, there were a scant few who could really be held responsible. The soldiers may have participated in the war but they were just disenfranchised veterans from the previous wars searching for their niche in life.

They concluded that the ones who should be subjected to severe punishment were the ones who originally conspired to set into motion Operation ZERO and the Foreign Minister's kidnapping. In their minds that included the aristocrats who'd help fund the army, the scientists that developed the Seele units, and the now deceased Whitenburg. Although many believed his death was a fitting end, others thought he'd escaped having to answer for his crimes by taking the easy way out. In the end, there was nothing they could do to rectify that predicament; he was no longer a part of this world, having passed on to the next. His demise was the signal to the end of what had been deemed the ZERO War; the battle between lost souls, between past and future.

The others who took part in the war were once again resuming the lives they'd put on hold. Trowa was back at the circus with Catherine who was eager to show him the new routines she'd devised. During his last conversation with Relena he'd mentioned that the troupe was heading out towards Asia and would remain there for another year or so. The young Winner heir returned to space, enthusiastically immersing himself in the family business, glad to be doing something other than fighting, though missing the excitement all the same. Using his vast amount of resources, he continued to give aide to the Preventers from afar, helping to procure data that wasn't so easily obtained. Speaking of Preventers, Wufei was still giving Sally a hard time - no surprise there - while Duo did the same to him. Heero... well, that's a different matter.

This time around, instead of being destroyed, the Gundams were safely stored away within Preventer compounds. Behind layer after layer of security in the same underground storage facility that housed the Tallgeese III, they slumbered until their assistance was once more needed. Since the Tallgeese III managed to fly under the E.S.U.N's radar during the last battle, Une decided that it was best to not disclose the information regarding the Gundams whereabouts to them either. The last thing she had wanted to deal with, after having to clean up OZ's mess, were politicians eager to divvy up things they believed they had a right to. She figured she'd deal with it when the time came, but for now there were more pressing matters she had to attend to. One such matter was the relocation of the Foreign Minister.

Relena's return, according to her, was a return to endless stacks of documents, proposals, requests, treaties, and many, many other obligations. Although Zechs and Noin had done their best to maintain order in her office during her absence, they both lacked the experience required to handle her workload. On some nights, the young woman would wake up to find herself still at her desk using a pile of forms as a pillow, a cold, nearly empty cup of coffee next to her. Other nights the Foreign Minister would drift off to sleep in her bed amidst an endless sea of papers sprawled around her mattress. Her goal to make up for lost time was taking its toll on her. On those days she wondered if maybe she would've been better off still a soldier for OZ.

* * *

The morning was fast approaching noon though it was hard to discern through the cloudy, rain filled sky. Such early spring showers always brought about mixed feelings in people. Inside the Preventer building, Relena was getting situated into her new office; Lady Une came to the conclusion that her working there would be an ideal situation for all parties concerned. With the given security of their headquarters the Preventers would be able to effectively ensure her safety. No one would be foolhardy enough to make an attempt on her life in a building full of Preventers, a few being former Gundam pilots. Relena in turn would be provided extra assistance in her job, something she greatly appreciated. They weren't going to allow her to suffer alone anymore; peace was not a one man/woman job but the responsibility of all those who wished for it.

Although her new office wasn't as large the one located at the Peacecraft mansion, it definitely had its own perks. Located right next to Wufei and Sally's office she was made privy to many of their 'conversations'; their quarrels and humorous bickering was the best form of free entertainment one could get. Satisfied with the finished arrangements, the young woman strolled around her desk and slumped into the soft, cushioned chair; it had been an exhausting morning. Resting her head and arms atop the desk, her eyelids slowly slid shut. It had been too long since she'd had a decent amount of sleep, taking whatever opportunity arose to catch up on it. _/*sigh* I'm getting too old for this. I think that I'll... just rest... for a little... while.../ _

The room soon fell into a comfortable quiet, save for the soft sounds of the air conditioning and the pit pat of raindrops outside. Minutes elapsed when the office door slowly opened and a shadow entered, taking extreme caution to avoid detection. Making its way to the young woman, the intruder reached out a hand towards her head. With lightening quick reflexes, Relena grabbed the hand, still somewhat half asleep.

"Oi!" Duo screeched in surprise, "How did you do that?! I thought they said you were back to normal."

She blinked several times then gave a quiet laugh, but her melancholy expression revealed the turmoil inside her heart. "I guess... those things will always be a part of me, right?" Relena gave him another smile and released his hand. "Sorry to sound so gloomy, I haven't had much sleep lately. What brings you to my new establishment?"

"Well," he began rubbing his hand as he took a seat in the chair beside him, "I just came to see how you were adjusting to things here? Any problems I should know about? I'd be willing to help."

"Come back in a few days, and we'll see what develops," she joked lightly, "By the way, have you heard from my brother or Noin? I haven't seen them around lately."

"You don't know?" She shook her head. "They went back to Mars to check on the Terraforming Project. Noin was saying something about them needing to plan ahead for the actual cultivation of vegetation there once the atmosphere was established. But if you ask me, I think they just wanted to go on a vacation. I guess they didn't want to bother you with such trivial matters seeing as how stressed out you already are."

_/Why have you disappeared again, brother? Is it me, or do you still have demons of your past to deal with? Even though Noin's with you… I can't help but worry... Do what you have to do, but stay safe and come back to me.../ _"Well, thanks for letting me know, Duo," Relena replied, "but if you'll excuse me, I have a stack of work I need to tackle before the day is done."

"Sure, no problem," he grinned widely, getting up and making his way towards the door. "Besides, I gotta help Colonel Une show a new guy around, see ya." He waved behind him as he exited through the door.

Watching him leave**, **Relena sighed and shifted in the chair, motionless for several minutes. "So, Heero, think my brother will come back?"

Outside her window, nicely perched on the branch of a nearby tree, hidden by its foliage was a figure dressed in a camouflage colored rain jacket. With his back still against the trunk, the youth gazed into the room and cocked his head to the side. Lowering the gun he'd drawn when Duo had entered, he gave her a quick glance then moved his field of vision towards the sky. "Certain events have transpired," Heero began in his deep, monotone voice, "He needs to rethink and redefine the things in his life. He'll be back; he cares about you."

"... Thank you, Heero."

* * *

"Why are they always doing shit like this?" Wufei mumbled to himself as he typed his weekly report on his computer. "It's not like we don't have enough work to do."

His partner across the room dropped the file in her hand and laughed; a death glare from his side quickly hushed her. "Give them a break. After all that's happened, we could all use a vacation. Hmmm... you know what? I'll make out a form requesting a little time off for you, Wufei."

The youth's eyes widened and he protested, "Don't you dare, onna! I don't need rest!"

"Yes you do, Wufie," Duo replied, leaning against the doorframe, "don't think I haven't notice those bags under your eyes. Plus, you're much grumpier than you used to be."

"What would you know baka?" Wufei retorted, "And don't call me that!"

The American chuckled to himself as he left, "You're one in a million, Wufei."

* * *

In the large office located on the top floor of Preventer Headquarters, a tall man stood in front of a desk where a young woman quietly observed him. He wore a white, long sleeved, button-down shirt and nicely pressed black slacks. His reddish blonde hair highlighted his handsome face as he stood stalk still, his stance refined and disciplined. Lady Une took another look at him then back to the portfolio in her hand; he waited patiently, exuding nothing but calm and obedience.

"Are you sure about this?" the woman arched an eyebrow in his direction. "Considering your past, you may not be able to adapt to the surroundings for quite some time… It's not that I don't think you're capable - you could even say that you're a bit overqualified - it's more a matter of trust." She set the folder down and clasped her hands atop the desk. "The only reason I'm bringing you onboard is because I think your knowledge about OZ may help with Relena's rehabilitation… though I think that I may be alone in feeling that way. Considering your role in Operation ZERO there aren't many agents here willing to extend a hand of friendship to you, especially the Gundam pilots."

She gave him a sympathetic smile. "But speaking from personal experience I honestly believe people can change for the better. So for now I'll give you the benefit of the doubt – please don't make me regret placing my trust in you. That being said, you'll continue to be monitored for a time on everything that you do. Along with that, you won't receive the same degree of freedom or level of access around here or on missions as our other agents." She saw him nod a 'yes' in understanding. "I guess there's nothing more I can say... except 'welcome aboard'." At that moment, Duo came into the office, an expectant look on his face. "Maxwell," she turned to address the part-time Preventer, "I'd like for you to show Mr. Dereks around. He'll be working with us from now on and needs to get acquainted with the compound and its many facilities."

"No problem at all! Just leave it to me." Duo exclaimed with a grin as he opened the door for the other man.

The tall man turned around and Duo caught a glimpse of something in his bright brown eyes. Dismissing it as sunlight, the young agent began to lead the way. Dereks gave him a smile as he passed by and, for the first time in years, his heart was light. The former OZ officer sighed in contentment; he was happy. _/Look, Anna, Julian, I'm moving on.../_

* * *

Author's Note: Sorry to have to put everyone through this again but I hope this rewrite was better than the original. I'll now be able to concentrate on Requiem with a clearer mind and though it won't be as long as ZERO, hopefully it will be just as enjoyable.

Japanese Words:

baka= idiot/stupid

-chan= suffix of endearment used by girls when addressing those closest to them or used by anyone to agitate Wufei^_^

doki= Japanese version of heartbeat sounds

Nataku= the name of a legendary/mythical Chinese warrior

ryoukai= acknowledged/roger

oi= hey

ojousan/'jousan= Miss

omae o korosu= I'll kill you (if you didn't already already)

onna= woman

owari= the end

rei= zero (it has other meanings too, i.e. spirit)

Shinigami= god of death

German Words:

alles= everything

Auf Wiedersehen die Ewigkeit= Good-bye forever

es ist Zeit= it is time

es tut mir leid= I am sorry

ich liebe dich= I love you

mein freunde= my friends

mein Gott= my God

scheisse= shit

seele = soul


End file.
